Other Half
by SmileyButterflyy
Summary: A age old mystery has been dug up, literally. Ancient artifacts state that a god ripped humans in two, so they could not be whole without their 'other half'. Lory is leading the research to try and figure out if there is rhyme or reason to the 'other half'. now he thinks he's figured some of it out, and if he's right, then Kyoko and Ren will have finally have found love.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fan fiction. So please take care of me! *bow**

**I do not won Skip Beat, and I cannot think of a funny thing to say, so I'll let the story begin.**

**(Oh, this first little bit takes place a LONG time ago, but gets towards the present (3 years previously), then the actual present.)**

**Enjoy *bow**

Our God ripped humans in two for our own good.

Because a tribe humans had offended the goddess with their frivolous flirting and loving of one another to an extreme extent, it drove her mad. And in retaliation for his beloved, our God ripped a man into two, making a new man and women, who were one only when together.

He then ripped apart every man and woman, scattering them, so they would not be able to find their other half so easily, or at all.

The tribe had been wiped out years later, so the legend died with them.

Then no one felt whole. And no one realized why for eons what happened to them, or even how to fix it.

So life went on for the humans, until an archeologist figured out the legend, from hieroglyphics more ancient than any found before.

The hieroglyphics were found at the bottom of the ocean near what had once been the Bermuda triangle, when it had water covering it up.

The hieroglyphics showed the God ripping humans in two, showing that they were not whole until the two halves reunited.

Civilization had spiraled when the archeologist came forward, and a new era came forth, of confusion, hysterics, want, and grief. For every human wanted to be whole, marriages broke apart, families tore, the government tried to keep order and failed as even they were in turmoil.

Then, a man with an exotic flair stepped forward with an idea.

That idea was that not every one would find their other half on their own, but maybe there was a way to figure it out. He told everyone to continue to live their lives while he figured out the rhyme and reason to the 'other half' mystery.

And so, with the world waiting, he and some followers set to work, the world watching eagerly, as Lory Takarada, President of LME, set to work at solving the world's love dilemma.

Kuu Hizuri was sprayled on his living room sofa and held his wife Juliena against him, caressing the base of her neck. He loved this women the first moment he saw her, but now it was different, it was more. He loved her more than any other person, except for his son, Kuon.

He sighed sadly and kissed Juliena's neck, they had not seen their son since he went to live with Lory. Why that boy wanted to go, Kuu had no idea. But who was he to dampen his son's dream to follow in his footsteps? He wanted to make a name for himself, but he could do that very well from America.

Juliena worked her hands under his shirt and nibbled Kuu's ear when the phone rang.

Kuu wrapped his arms tighter around Juliena as she started unbuttoning his shirt.

"This is Kuu, if it important, then leave a message, if not, don't take away my time from Juliena. I don't care if you leave a message after the beep." A beeping sound, then the other line was silent.

"Kuu," came an angry voice from the answering machine, " stop making love to your wife and pick up the phone."

"Lory doesn't sound like he's going to wait much longer. You better pick it up," Juliena told her husband in-between kissed to his neck.

Kuu reluctantly pulled one arm away from his love to grab the infernal interrupter.

"I know you're there Kuu, and I also know that she's in your arms right as we speak," came the voice of the much loved Lory Takarada, "I have something I need to discuss with you. So please either disentangle yourself or fly over here."

"Hi Takarada-san, I'll leave you two alone for the moment." Juliena said into the speaker end of the phone, gave a passionate kiss to Kuu and slipped out of his arms. "I'll be at the pool when you're done," she whispered into his ear before she sauntered out of the room, making sure the swing her hips just for him.

Kuu stared after her with a loving gaze, he was eternally happy to have met her, she was his other half before and now when what he had thought turned out true. Kuon had left a few years before that massive discovery came out, and he was watching the tabloids to make sure he was being a gentleman, and to make sure that he hadn't found his 'other half', but he was confident that Lory would tell him before the tabloids did.

"Kuu, are you listening now?" came the irritated voice of his friend.

"Of course I am."

"Then repeat what I just told you word for word."

Kuu was silent.

"Were you listening at all?"

"No," Kuu sighed.

"Juliena was swinging her hips again wasn't she."

"That didn't sound like a question. And yeah, she did. I love that woman." Kuu imagined exactly what he would do after his talk with Lory was over.

"Now that I got your attention off your lovely wife. We have a problem."

Kuu sat up straighter in his seat, "What is it?"

Lory was silent on the other line.

"Is it about Kuon? What happened?!"

"Calm down. But yes, it has something to do with your son," Lory tried to get another word in but Kuu cut him off.

"What the HELL LORY! I told you to make sure nothing happened to him! And now something happened to him! What is it? How do I tell Juliena? She'll hate anyone who gives her bad news of her baby." Kuu paled and said in a softer voice, "I don't want her to hate me." he then picked up the massive bag of chips from the table and started eating by the handful.

"Will you shut _up_. I wasn't done yet, and stop eating."

Kuu paused for a second, and then started eating quieter.

"I have reason to believe your son may have fallen in love, and may have find his other half. But there's a problem with that."

Kuu stopped eating long enough to reply, "What problem? And what do you mean _may_? If he found his other half, then that's great! It's a simple yes or no if he found her. Does that mean you worked out that love theory that you have been working on?"

Lory spoke slowly, letting each word ring through the phone. "I have a part if it worked out. I'll tell you more when i see you. The gist of his problem is that he has blocked Kuon off for many years, and became Ren Tsuruga, as you know, and he has run from his past, his problem, and everything. Now I think he has lost himself, and because of that, he cannot find his other half."

"So basically, he lost himself, and he needs to find himself before he can find his love. Is that right?" Kuu had no clue what had just came out of his mouth.

Lory sounded grave, "Yes, but I think I found someone who can bring it back out. If this works, then I have found a way to find our other halves."

"So that's what you meant by may. Your theory is nearly complete, after three and a half years! That's great, but why do you sound so grave? Isn't this a break through?" Kuu shoved another handful of chips into his mouth.

"Because this girl has given up on love."

Kuu stopped eating, "Seriously, even with the 'other half' who will complete her? All the women are crazy over that fact." Kuu's mind flashed back to when he first looked at his wife after the discovery. He fell in love with her all over again, he was one of the rare people who had already found and married his 'other half'.

"I know, I'm not 100% sure on the specifics, but that's what I know. I can give you more information in person, I don't like using phones for important matters like this."

"Of course, we'll figure this out together. I'll be there by tomorrow."

"Don't bring Juliena into this yet, Kuu, please. She won't be able to control herself."

Kuu nodded in agreement to himself before agreeing out loud. Leaving his darling behind will hurt, but he needed to focus to fix this dilemma.

Kuu snapped the phone shut and discarded the empty chip bag on the table. And left the room in the direction of the pool. This was going to be hard, and the girl Lory found should be easier to couple with his son than saying goodbye to his darling Juliena.

**Thoughts? Expectations? Please give feedback or comments if you will. Tell me what you liked/disliked if you liked it or not **

**Thank you *bow**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry for the slow progress of this, but Ren will appear soon.**

**To 21han: Thank you for the comment *bow* **** it meant a lot**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat**

"Kyoko-san," came the calm voice of Takenori from behind the front desk, "You have another client asking for you, a new one, a Mr. Yashiro. Go calm his nerves."

Kyoko, a 19-year old girl with sexy slanted eyes and long auburn hair, looked up from her current client, who was a thirty-some old widowed man, as his wife left to find her 'other half' last week. He had come every night since.

The current client was sobbing into her shoulder and soaking the sleeve. She would have to change before meeting her new client. Her skin-tight black number would be to intimidating for whoever it was anyway.

She slipped away from him, being careful to not disturb him to much. Yet by this point, the guy was to drunk if he was holding a girl or a pig.

Kyoko swung her hips as she approached the boss, as other men were looking and Takenori-san said 'to ease their minds and give them a show.' So why not give a little something to the masses of blubbering men.

Takenori nodded appreciatively at her hip movement, "That's perfect, good job Kyoko-san. So for this client, be soft and gentle unless you think he needs something more. And please change out of that wet dress." He eyed her soaked ¾ sleeve before turning back to his list. "Kanae-san, come over here."

Kyoko glanced back into the dimly lit room, full of soft chairs, couches, and benches. Girls in short maids outfits and fishing-net stockings walked around, offering a drink or picking one up. The Soothers were sitting in the chairs with the men.

The Soothers job was to dress sexily, figure out what the best way to calm down the upset client, and calm them. Sex was not allowed, but something like a kiss on the head was allowable.

Tonight the men ranged from 20-40. The poor guys, but it wasn't like some of their kind weren't ruthless and cold.

She shook her head violently to shake off the bad vibe coming over her, she had a customer to serve.

But it wasn't only the men who were served. In the next building over, women were getting the same treatment as the men did here, except the guys had no shirts on and it was run by Erika.

Both Takenori and Erika had their partners leave them when they had found their other half, or was in search of them. The two found each other soon after, and bought this place about three years ago for they lonely people who felt like they did, and still felt. They hadn't found their 'other half' and both wanted to make sure that despair didn't overcome the anyone like it did with them. Kyoko had been here since she was 16, since the day it opened.

Soothing, a place meant for the lonely to forget about their problems if only for a night.

At first Takenori didn't want to hire her because she was so young, but she was broken with nowhere to go. So her kept her as a cleaner till one day he found out that she was in more demand from the males, not because she was ,sexy, but she observed the men and figured out what drew them in. And Kyoko's smiles were so bright that no man could resist them.

She had honed her skills as a Soother, and Takenori had told her many times to try for an acting agency. He thought she could be somebody. And he should know, as he used to work at one.

Kyoko appreciated the thought, but her family was here.

She slipped behind the front desk and up the hidden stairs to change out of her cold dress. Moko- san, her close friend Kanae, was right behind her.

"So what do you think I should wear Moko- san?" Kyko asked as she slipped into their hidden room. Where Erika kept all the dresses she could find, or make.

The room was for the girls, so they could change dresses in a quick minute if water, or anything got onto their dresses. It was a good sized room, which had revolving shelves and racks. A line of a half dozen vanity mirrors were against the back wall, there were a dozen of them total, so they had to share.

They all slept upstairs, away from the Lounge area of the front lobby.

"Drop the 'san' Kyoko. I told you that before," said Kyoko's best friend.

Kyoko looked sideways at her raven- haired friend.

Kanae had her raven hair going to the middle of her back, she had soft porcine skin like Kyoko, and longer legs. They were both best friends and Soothers' best to offer.

But at first, Kanea had hated her the first time they met. She had come just a month after Soothing opened, and started working the same time as her as a Soother. Kanae saw her as a rival, but Kyoko saw her as a friend. It had taken Kanae a long time to warm up to Kyoko.

In time, Kyoko's determined, hard- working, pure nature won Kanae over. And the two became the closest of friends. They shared everything, from dress sizes, to their past.

But this was the first time Kanea told Kyoko to drop the 'san' from the end of her name.

With tears in her eyes, Kyoko ran at Kanea, "MOOOOKOOOO!"

"MO! Not another step," Kanea held up her hand and Kyko stopped mid leap. Kyoko dropped down and hung her head, obviously depressed from the hug rejection.

Kanae squeezed her eyes together, pinched her nose with her index and thumb and sighed. "Wear the silky midnight blue dress Kyoko, it brings out the highlights in your hair." Kanea threw the dress at her and turned to the closet to find her sexy dress. She had a recent client that had left for months, only to come back empty hearted, again.

The dress landed on Kyoko's face, she dragged it off and stared at Kanae in surprise. She had never called her just Kyoko. She had called her, annoying, princess (she loved that one), used -chan, - san, and her last name, but never her first name without any prefixes.

Kanea turned around, she had stripped down to her panties and bra. "What?" Kanea then thought over her words and realized her mistake.

This time Kyoko rammed into Kanea and hugged her, "You finally called me by my first name!" It was a dream come true that her first ever girl friend called her by her first name.

"Mo! I get it, now let go of me," Kyoko obliged and started changing as we'll, humming a happy tune, "And never hug me when I'm in the middle of changing." Kanae gave her a stern look, but Kyoko smiled. Even Kanae scolding her didn't faze her.

She pulled the dress on and it hit every curve she had. The dress came down to about her mid-thigh, not counting the two inch slit on the right leg. It was strapless. Her bra got pushed up and made her chest slightly bigger. Her figure was small, but she could rock it like nobody's business. "Isn't this dress just a bit to much?" Kyoko looked at her friend with wide, innocent amber eyes.

Kanea shrugged and pulled on a strapless form-fitting red number, "Sometimes men need a sexy woman, if not, you know how to handle it." Kanae gave her a knowing look, and Kyoko nodded in response.

"Good point, I got the perfect girl in mind. Oh, and never again, at least not when your changing," Kyoko laughed as she dodged a dress Kanea threw at her.

"Mo! You know what I meant!"

Kyoko danced away from another dress projectile and felt a little like a fairy, dancing away. It brought her back to her time at the river.

She shook her head vigorously, there was no time to think of him.

"I'll tell you how it goes," she called over her shoulder at Kanae, as she exited the room.

Kanae looked after her, watching as she saw her friend transform mid- step into character.

**Sorry for the shortness, please bear with me and review, comment, follow, say what you like, or just enjoy :) (okay, I like comments, please comment)**

**Thank you for reading *bow**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so so so so so so soo soooooo soooorrrrryyyyy ;;A;; I got sick and I couldn't do anything at all!**

**Forgive me, for that *bow**

**Thank for continuing to read this!**

**I do not own skip beat, ... Enjoy :)**

Ring, ring, ring

Ren looked up from the beers he was balancing on his tray, they had recently lost their waitress. He had his hair slicked back from all the time he had ran his hands through it. His legs were long and lean. His whole body was perfect for a model.

"Yashiro, can you get that? My arms are full," Ren called to the back of the store, where his accountant friend was helping with his funds and anything Ren could think up. Yashiro was just helping till more people could be hired.

Yashiro looked up from the papers on his desk, he was a shorter man than his friend. He wore glasses and a suit most days, with the occasional surgin glove so as to not break Ren's calculator or phone.

"I got it," Yashiro said as he got up from his seat and walked to the phone, which was located right between the back office and the bar.

The bar was vast, considering it was an old, abandoned book store. Ren had gotten it cheep and he'd resonated it years ago. Whether it was from the poor condition or that the salesperson was a woman he wasn't exactly sure.

It had round tables in the center on top of dark wood, the far wall was the bar, a stage was the farthest back, but it hadn't been used for days, since his last band bailed on him. The place was dimly lit except for at the bar, where Ren worked.

Yashiro picked up the phone with his gloved hand, "Hello? Yashiro speaking."

"Perfect, I finally found you," came the voice on the other end.

The voice was familiar, Yashiro lowered his voice to talk, "Is this Lory?"

This time the voice sounded brightly, "You DID recognize my voice! See I TOLD you," he said to someone on his end, "Yashiro, I need a favor from you."

"What would that be?"

"To find Ren happiness and find a solution to Ren's happiness."

Yashiro's mouth hanged open, "You mean..."

"Yes, will you help?"

"Of course, tell me what I need to do."

Kuu was looking at the screen, which showed the room that their man, Yashiro, was seeing, as he had set up a camera in his glasses.

The room was small, with a comfy chair. There was only one. Moonlight coming through the circular window was the only light source, though there were some candles unlit in the opposite corner of the room.

Yashiro had also put as all camera at the top of the doorframe, so that his bosses had a bird's eye view. And he had a listening device in his ear, just in case.

As soon as President Lory said he might've found out who Ren's other half was, he was only to happy to help. He had been his manager when he was an actor, and friend after that for years, every one of which Ren spent alone.

Yashiro stood up for the third time and circled the room, he was nervous to do this. He had no clue how to act, he was no actor, but an ex-actor's manager.

From the other side of the camera, Kuu and Lory watched from one of Lory's grand parlors. That day he was shirtless and had on a biker jacket, factors, and tight pants. He looked like one of the Soothers from Erika's side. Kuu, on the other hand, was dressed in a loose red T-shirt and old blue jeans.

"What is Yashiro wearing? A suit and tie? What's he dressed so formal for?" Kuu leapt up and paced back and forth for the seventh time in three minutes.

"I told him to wear what he found most like him and most comfortable. That, in any event, is what he chose." He gestured to big screen, which showed both the camera's angles.

Lory lounged back in his purple velvet seat, which looked fit for a Greek God. All around the room it was like a palace, marble columns and fine drapery. Even armless woman stood in droves around the room, they all looked authentic and probably belonged in a museum.

"Where is she? She better not be with another client, that client better not hurt my son's other half!" Kuu was working himself into another rage.

"Calm down Kuu, eat something," Lory shoved a silver plate full of a dozen hamburgers his chief had made in the last few minutes for them. There was also a boat load of crackers and cheese. Lory had already set one burger aside for himself, but he doubted that he'd be hungry with the show about to start.

Kuu grabbed the burgers and started eating, "Dy an't I do fin?"

Lory glared at him, and Kuu gulped down his food and said clearly, "Why can't I go in? It would be better to see this for ourselves, wouldn't it? I'm the actor that can feel another's talents."

"I told you, we are to recognizable. Even if she doesn't notice someone else will. And if she is so amazing you'll be able to tell." Lory waved his hand dismiss-avidly, what was taking that girl so long?

"Okay," Kuu ate another burger before asking, "So how did you find out about her? If she works at a other-half rejects place? And what are we testing her acting skills for? Aren't you sure about her match with my son?"

"That's quite a few questions there. First off, it is an ingenious place, and if not for their establishment and example for other places, we'd have a flood of sad and depressed people all over the world," Lory nibbled on the end of a cracker, "I know about her from Takenori. He used to work for me at LME before his wife found her other-half." Lory grew solemn before continuing, "And we kept in contact, he told me about the whiny brat he collaborated with for Soothing, and about the girl who begged for a job. He took the girl in as a cleaning girl. But more so I think so she would stop haunting him." Lory gave a small chuckle at that story, "and he told me of the amazing work she could do, and I thought she could be a phenomenal actor. So I asked for a picture and some records.

"And I looked her over, she didn't seem special at first, so I filed her away. I hadn't seen her in action, so I didn't know what a mistake I made. So when I dug up her file it was for the eye research."

Kuu spat out a piece of hamburger when he blurted out, "You mean you think the eye contact is relevant?"

Lory slapped the top of Kuu's head, "Don't speak with your mouth full!

"But yes, I think that it is related. Remember I asked for a photo from you and Juliena before and after you found each other? And when the discovery had been made?"

Kuu nodded this time, he remembered.

"Well, I asked the same for all the couples. And one thing stood out to me."

Lory grew quite, lost in thought, so Kuu had no choice but to provoke more out of him, "And what was that?"

Lory turned to him slowly, looking right into his eyes, " Before you met Juliena, your eyes were different from how they are now. My theory is, when you make eye contact with your other half, your eyes change. When I out your eyes and Juliena's eyes together, they seemed to fix like a puzzle together. Do you understand that?"

Kuu nodded, then shook his head. He gulped down the bite of hamburger and asked, "So that means our eyes complete a puzzle or something?"

"If that's how you view it, yes, it is. Your eyes were missing something, and her eyes had it, and vice verse."

"So like a puzzle."

Lory sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Yeah like a puzzle."

Kuu was going to say something when a soft voice came from the sound system, "Yashiro-san? May I come in?"

Lory sat up straighter in his seat and Kuu started eating faster as he watched the screen.

Yashiro straightened his tie, "Yes, please come in Miss Kyoko."

Kyoko came in slowly, first peaking her head in, then coming in bit by bit. Head, torso, hips, legs, then feet. Her eyes were slanted again, giving her a sexy vibe.

The three men watching tried their best to not have their mouths drop.

"And you're sure she's had no training? Nothing whatsoever?" Asked Kuu.

Lory got his composure back, and took a sip of water while watching her. She was good, she took all three of the men by surprise. "Positive, she taught herself. Maybe a pointer or two from Takenori-san, but otherwise I don't think so."

Kyoko came in and studied the man before her. He was strange, not in a bad way but in the 'not her normal' clients.

The man called Yashiro was clean and well represented in his clean suit. Like he was ready at a day at the office. He wasn't sweaty, he didn't have dirt on him, and he definitely showered that morning. He could have just wanted to look his best, but the fact that his eyes and nose wasn't puffy or red in the slightest threw her off.

"Won't you sit down? It must not be comfortable to stand."

Yashiro looked behind him, "Quite right, thank you." He settled down in the comfy chair.

Right off the bat Kyoko could tell he wasn't there to be comforted because of a girl. She had come to recognize the quirks of people, and this man was nervous and obviously uncomfortable, not weepy and torn up. If she offered him a beer, he'd be the first to refuse.

He watched as she looked him over, then she went over to the table in the corner and lit the candles. A relaxing aroma filtered into him.

"Would you like a beer? Or some wine?" Kyoko held the bottle out to Yashiro so her could clearly see what it was by the moonlight.

Behind her, he could see the rack of wine and beer bottles, it must have been a sort of fridge, not a table.

Yashiro shook his head, "No thank you." He couldn't get drunk when he had a job to do; he needed to get his job done.

Kyoko observed him, he was definitely not here to be comforted, so she'd have to tease it out of him. She stood up and walked slowly over to him, not giving off a sexy air, but a sweet understanding one.

If Yashiro didn't know her age, he would have guessed much younger, but when she came in, he would have guess older. She knew how to act, that was for sure. But if he hadn't been watching, he would never have noticed how stubbly she did it.

She settled herself on the arm on the chair, her legs barely mingling with Yashiro's.

"So," she leaned forward, careful not to give him a view down her shirt, "Why are you here?"

Yashiro and the President had come up with several paths this could take; he was ready for this.

My girl left me; just packed up her stuff and left, no note or anything. It blew my mind and-," Yashiro was cut off: she had out a finger to his lips.

"I think you misunderstood me, why are you here?" She leaned in, with clear eyes of an innocent child. She said it bluntly, so he knew that she was not talking about a girl. She we he was lying, she could tell.

Yashiro mumbled against her finger, "I don't know what-."

Kyoko pressed her finger more firmly, "I'll make it clearer for you. Who sent you? What are your motives? Because if it has anything to do with hurting this place I can assure you, you won't leave this place looking the way you did when you walked in." Kyoko saw her reflection in his glasses. She had a cute, innocent face on, so her words cut in deeper.

Yashiro was scared stiff. They hadn't bet on her figuring it out so quickly.

'Tell her you volunteered to come, your motives are not hurtful, and it has no ill will to her home,' came Lory's soft voice from his ear.

Yashiro took away Kyoko's hand, "You are right, I'm not here because of a girl. I don't have a girlfriend, nor am I here to find one. I have nothing against this place, it is an ingenious idea, I wish nothing to happen to it. I volunteered to come."

Kyoko relaxed when he did not come t hurt her home, but stiffened quickly, "What is it you want then?"

'Ask her how she came to be there,' came Lory's voice.

Kuu's voice followed soon after, 'Ask her what her dream is.'

"I feel like the balances of question and answer are very unequal. May I ask the questions?"

"You do realize that is one right there."

"Starting now."

"Oh, alright then." She leaned back slightly so as to observe him.

"How did you come to be here?"

"Three years ago, I walked." She stated simply.

Yashiro shook his head, "Not what I meant. I've given you straight answers, and I'll give you any other answer after you give me mine."

Kyoko looked him over, studying him, "Yashiro is your name right?"

He smiled his first genuine smile since she saw him, "That it is, all the information I gave your boss is true, so if you ever wished to track me down you could do so."

She nodded, "Okay, fine." Kyoko looked to the small window, thinking of he best to summarize what she was about to say. "I grew up with him, and I thought myself in love with him. He was my 'prince' and I the princess. He didn't want to stay and marry a plain, boring girl that his parents picked out. So he asked if I'd go to Tokyo with him, I said yes.

"I gave everything for him, I worked three jobs to keep up this fancy apartment while he tried to make a name for himself. He did, and he threw me away. He never wanted me, only for me to take care of him. I over heard all of this. And I put two and two together. I was the plain, boring girl his parents wanted him to marry. He never cared for me.

"I hated him, but I didn't confront him then. I didn't cry. I went back to the apartment, sold everything, all his things everything I could. Took my things and savings and left. I went to live at another apartment and I worked. The building got condemned, so I had to go looking for a place to live, maybe a new place to work. That's how I found this place, and somewhere to work. I could live here, so two birds with one stone."

Yashiro starred at her for a moment, "Any man who acted like that should not even be considered a man. And he was wrong, you are anything but plain and boring. I'm guessing that it all happened before the 'discovery' right?"

Kyoko nodded, "Yep."

"Then what are you going to do with your life. You can't stay here forever. Don't you have a dream?" Yashiro looked at her till she glanced back at him.

"Yes, I do have a dream. I do want something out of life, and once I have just a little bit more money I can do it. I'm going to rise from rags, like Cinderella." She spoke with a wistful, endearing tone.

"What is it then? You're dream?"

Kyoko looked down at him, "I think you've had your questions."

Yashiro waited.

She sighed, "Me and my friend are planning to go into acting, I've wanted to ever since Takenori-san asked me about it. I've always told him no though."

"Why is that?"

Kyoko shrugged, "I guess I was just not ready. This place has been great, but me and Kanae have been wanting to break out into the business world, because we enjoy acting so much," Kyoko added sheepishly, "We even took those odd acting jobs."

"Do you still want to find your other half?"

Kyoko looked at him, "I don't know. I haven't loved a man since him. But I don't classify that as love, just misguided affections. I don't know. And the chances are slim regardless."

"Hoping can't hurt."

Kyoko looked off to the window again, and said in a heart retching voice, "Yes it can."

Kyoko had never received love from her mother, she had never asked about Kyoko, or tried to find her when she left. Sho had left her, but he was now struggiling to stay on the charts, according to Mimori-chan, a fellow Shoother. Even Kuon, a pain ripped through her heart.

Dam, she was getting to sentimental, she'd cry herself to sleep tonight, she knew it.

To Yashiro, she looked so small. This was the real her, sad and lonely. Not hot and sexy, not pure and innocent. She knew the hardships of life. The only thing that made him feel better was that he was going to help bring her happiness in the form of his best friend.

He shifted in his chair to get up, "I believe my time is up."

Kyoko's hand shot out to his shoulder, holding him down, "You haven't answered all of my questions."

Yashiro smiled, "You are a fantastic actress, and I assume your friend is lovely too." He searched his jacket pocket and pulled out a card. Kyoko took it with the hand that had held his shoulder down.

"What is this?" She flipped it to see an address, it was a companies card. An acting company. She looked at Yashiro, "Are you a talent scout?"

Yashiro smiled, no, he was an ex-manager turned accountant, but he'd tell her later. But she took his sheepish grin as a yes.

"Did Takenori-san set this up?"

"He had a hand in it, but he doesn't know that," Yashiro smiled, "the President kept in touch with him, and he heard about you. He got interested, and I'm sure he'd love to meet you and your friend in person."

Kyoko looked back and forth between Yashiro and the card, "This is legit?"

He nodded, "If you doubt me, ask Takenori-san. He'll remember me when he sees me, probably. Even though I haven't seen him in years."

"I'll ask him later. And your time is up, thank you for visiting Soothing."

Yashiro nodded, "Thank you, and I do hope you and you friend come round soon. I know the President can't wait to meet you." And with that, Yashiro left the room, touching the top of the doorframe and ducking under as he left.

Both Kuu and Lory watched Yashiro exit the small room before turning the screen off.

"What do you think?" Asked Kuu, he hadn't eaten a single bite since Kyoko had entered the room.

Lory had a devious smile on his face, "I think we have the perfect actress to play against Ren." 'If I can get him out of that dam bar and back on the acting scene,' Lory thought to himself.

He still hadn't told Kuu about his son stepping out of the industry a few months after the 'discovery' release.

**It was longer! **

**Btw, those 'odd acting jobs' are what Kanae did in the original series, like acting out a college guy's girlfriend, etc.**

**Kyoko does have a past with Kuon/Ren that will be explained more.**

**Comment, tell me what you liked, disliked, if anything confused you!**

**Please take care of me as I go forward with this * bow**


	4. Chapter 4

**So here it is, the awaited appearance of Ren.**

**and this fanfiction takes information from the beginning of Skip Beat, so something might be similar, but I am changing some things.**

**Thank you for reading *bow * I do not own Skip Beat.**

**Enjoy**

Kyoko bounded down the stairs once she saw Mr. Yashiro had gone into the street. She slowed herself into a walk when she reached the front counter with the card clutched in her hand.

Takenori-san looked up startled, he was talking through a walkie talkie, most likely with Erika-san. He had been writing something down vigorously on a notepad and mumbling under his breath.

He put the talkie down and looked up at Kyoko, "Whatever it is, make it fast. Erika is having a problem over at her end."

"Then tell me the truth. Do you know anyone named Yashiro when you works for LME?" Kyoko thrusted the sweat soaked card into his hands, "Do you?"

Takenori- san brought the card to his eye level and looked at it. "The name sounds familiar. Yeah, I do. He was a manage of Ren Tsuruga when I knew him last. I think he still does that, but I could be wrong. He could have moved up. How did you get this?"

"Mr. Yashiro was just in my room. He gave that card to me. He said he thought the President would like me."

"I can't believe I didn't notice that," he mused to himself, "Well, if the President is involved, you better prepare yourself," Takenori- san handed the card back to her, "He can be a bit overwhelming. You won't get used to it."

Kyoko took the card back, "Isn't it suppose to be 'you'll get used to it'?"

Takenori- san smiled gently, "No, in the President's case, I promise you you won't."

The walkie talkie buzzed again and Takenori-san went off to the other side of the store in a hurry.

The excitement inside Kyoko was overwhelming, what Yashiro told her was true! She HAD to tell Kanae.

She bounded up halfway up the stairs before she was able to collect herself. along with help from her throbbing big toe.

She knocked on the room Kanae was in. When she was given the all clear by her friend, she entered much the same as she did with Yashiro.

"May I borrow your Soother for a moment? It'll be quick." Kyoko directed the question at the man on the chair, who was as tipsy as they let them get. His answer was a slur of words, so Kyoko took it as a yes.

Kanae took the glass from him and put it on the floor. She lightly slid off his lap and walked quitely out the door to join Kyoko in the halls.

Once put, Kanae dropped her 'Soothing' face and her 'pissed-off' face took its place. "What is it?"

Kyoko didn't get thrown off by her friend's pissed off vibe. "There's a president of a prestigious acting company that would like to meet us!"

Kanae raised an eyebrow in disbelief, so Kyoko explained everything from entering the room to what she talked about with Takenori.

Kanae asked for the card. Kyoko handed it over and watched her friend look it over.

"I don't know... it sounds to good to be true." Kanae mused.

"But I think it's legit. Yashiro-san said we could call him using his information! You can talk to him, and hear it for yourself," Kanae still didn't look convinced. "And have you ever doubted Takenori?"

Kanae's mouth twitched, no, she hadn't. "Okay, for now, we'll go along with this. I heard that LME was one of the biggest acting agencies."

Kyoko clasped her hands together, this was like a dream, a fairy tale.

"Kanae-chan~ my glass is empty~," came the drunken slur of Kanae's customer.

"Dam, and i'm with him for another three hours." Kanae wrinkled her nose.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow, "Three hours? The gold package? That guy has to get his life straight."

Kanae rolled her eyes, "Him and every man in this building. As soon as we get a bit more money, we can leave." Kanae turned back into the room, "That reminds me." She turned back to Kyoko. "Mimori-san asked me to get more beer for the men. But i obviously can't cause," she jerked her head back into the room, "So can you go for me?"

"Sure, Yashiro-san was my last customer."

"Okay, the address is," she rattled off some numbers. "Got it? It's the new place we seem to be getting our beverages from."

Kyoko repeated the address word-for-word.

"Yep, you got it." Kanae went back into the room, and Kyoko went to get her jacket and money from Takenori-san for the liqueur.

-Ren 3 1/2 years ago-

Ren had just finished his last job for the night and went to his car alone. Yashiro-san, his manager, had other business to attend to tonight.

He contemplated on whether or not to go see the President; he had mentioned to swing by soon. Ren glanced at the clock on, it read 21:00, "Not to late to go. He'll be up playing one of his dating games," Ren talked to himself.

With a destination in mind, Ren put his luggage and perfectly unwrapped bento box on the seat next to him, and drove off to Lory's office.

Lory was agonizing over how to get Sinchi to fall in love with the girl he was playing as. "There is something wrong with that boy! Why can't he fall in love?"

"Who, may I ask, are you trying to get together? I hope you aren't playing matchmaker for me." Ren walked into the room on his own accord, as Lory hadn't answered to his knock. His long legs were covered by black pants and he wore a form fitting dark green turtle neck. His face showed distrust and speculation.

"Heavens no, I was only thinking over the second most important decision of my life." Lory turned the TV off and tried to look appalled by the thought of interfering in Ren's love life, but he couldn't help but smile, ruining the effect.

Ren nodded, "So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

Lory pushed his fingertips together. He had on a bullfighter costume, and in just a few hours he would have a live bull in here. "About your acting of course."

Ren shook his head, he had a feeling it would be about this. "You want to push me into the romantic side of things. I have already done a fine number of movies and shows with it as a main theme. And the reviews have been good." He said defensively.

Lory motioned for him to sit down, "Yet none had met my expectations."

Ren threw a surprised at Lory, which he disregarded.

"Now Ren, you must get this down this time or your career will be over. You know you can't avoid Romantic Movies with a Casanova face like yours."

Ren clasped his hands together and looked pointedly away from Lory.

"You can try and fool all of Japan, but you can't fool me. Your acting skill on love is too fake. I get this feeling every time I see you acting in your dramas. Fortunately, you were saved because Romance was not the main point in the dramas you've acted in. But you've already 20, you won't last if you can't act in a very hard romance drama."

Ren's face showed complete shock. He had been acting in Japan for four years, and had come to believe that his acting skills were well seasoned.

'Acting like a child' Lory thought to himself, "When you get a more serious offer, you will get stuck. You won't be able to play the character out. People will notice, because you've never been in love."

"I've been in love," Ren said, still defensive.

"Well, there was..." Ren trailed off as he counted on his fingers and missed Lory's depressed look.

"Not how many women you've gone out with. i should have known you're love only went that deep.

"If you don't improve, your weakness will show and you will fail as an actor." with that, Lory waved Ren away and went of with his game.

Ren left with a determined look in his face. he was going to be the best actor in all of Japan, his act of love was fine.

-Kyoko present time-

She still had her Soother's outfit on, and Takenori's card in her bag. It was safer to have the bartender to put it on Takenori's tab then to carry around all that money. Whatever the girl could not carry would be delivered to the house by some more than willing men, who later became customers.

This would be Kyoko's first time coming here, she didn't know what to expect. All she knew was that the music was _loud_.

She opened the door, and a little _ting-a-ling-a-ling_ went off.

-Ren present time-

He wiped off the table for the fifth time that night. The music was roaring to a new high thanks to their new DJ and bodies filled the dance floor. Down the bar, a man lay passed out on the table, and another on a chair, and three in a booth. Ren shook his head: he never understood why a man would get so drunk over a woman.

He shined a cup and but it beneath the bar. He did not like using glass mugs, so he switched to wooden ones. He had learned the hard way not to have glass in a violent environmnet like a bar.

Ren put away the cloth awzy and watched the people approaching the bar for drinks. Kijima-san approached another drunk woman, and sweet talked her ina ogling home, she had come often and when she drinks to much she went out to the alley to get rid of it. And sometimes she didn't make it there in time, so Kijima-san would have to clean it up.

The woman staggard to the door, and one of the guys in charge of the coats escorted her out and down the street. Ren had instructed them to take their customers to their door, and many of them appreciated the gesture.

Music was at an all time high tonight, and Ren was not to sure he liked it. But then again he had started to not like anything since he left the acting industry. Lory was right, he could not act the part of a lover, and to come back when he could. He sighed, that was more than three years ago.

Ren wiped the spotless table again, and the door opened, making a _ting_-_a_-_ling_-_a_-_ling_ sound.

**-—**

**They** **will** **finally** **meet! Yay! I've been waiting for this, and I hope you all did too!**

**Thank you for reading, following, commenting, liking. That is just amazing to see that what I'm doing is liked!**

**If there is any questions ask! I will try and explain to the best of my abilities!**

**Thank you for reading *bow* please review, follow, like :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the lateness *bow* FORGIVE ME! Tests, testing, homework, family stuff... Done with excuses, now to what you came for.**

**I do not own Skip Beat, I am only borrowing the characters.**

**Please enjoy! *bow***

-Ren-

Ren didn't look up at the tinkling of the bell. He would be taking it down later on, as none of the customers liked it. Even the sober ones thought it was gaudy.

_Now_ _or_ _never. _He thought.

Ren pulled the screw driver out from under the table, and walked out from behind the bar, "Kijima-san, keep things under control while I get rid of that bell."

Kijima didn't make any notion of hearing Ren. His eyes were fixed on the door.

Ren followed his eyes to the door, and saw a girl with auburn have her coat taken off by the guy at the door. Underneath her long trench coat was a slim body, pearly white legs, and a sexy dress. The dress was form-fitting and went down to mid-thigh and her chest was small, but she made full use of it. Then Ren looked into her face, she had a small nose, full lips and straight auburn hair. He gripped the screw driver tightly, what was he thinking?

_Get ahold of yourself, there are plenty of girls in this bar prettier than her, why would she be any different? _Ren glanced at Kijima's face, he was inwrapped in the girls appearance. _Dam._

_"_Kijima-san, whys don't you take the bell off the door? I forgot to mix some special drinks for a client," Ren said quickly. _Why the hell did he just do that?_

It worked though, Kijima left the bar and took the screw driver from Ren. The two passed by each other, and neither said a word.

Ren sighed in relief... _Wait, what was he sighing in relief about? Why?_

He shook his head slightly and got behind the bar quickly, so as to attend to her.

-Kyoko-

The place really knew how to treat their customers, even if most of them were dropping left and right. A woman who obviously had no balance was being escorted down the street by a coat-taker.

The other coat-taker helped take her trench coat off. And she wished very much that she had changed out of her dress into something that covered her skin better. Regardless, she walked up to the counter.

A man walked past her towards the door, screwdriver in hand. He had a hansom face, like so many others. He gave her a sly, sideways smile and she raised an eyebrow in response. Playboy.

Kyoko looked to the bartender behind the counter, and she froze with only her right heel on the ground.

The bartender was sexier than the screw-driver one. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she was drawn to him.

Her eyes roved over him: his black shirt clinged to his chest and showed his chest and abs in perfect detail, muscles taunt on his arms, big hands with slender fingers, his face... She gulped, his cheeks were defined, nose perfect and sloped, lips luscious (_what a word to affituate with a man!_), dark hair that was loose from working, and his eyes. Kyoko had to force herself to blink, to remember to breath. His eyes were warm and deep, with a stirring emotion just below them.

Kyoko had lessens from Kanae to control her face, so she was sure that her face was not red. So hopefully her face reveal nothing to him of her obvious attraction.

She reached the counter and sat down in one of the stools, careful not to lean to far forward. He looked at her, and smile slightly.

"What can I help you with?"

Kyoko had to think for a second to remember what she had came here for. Then the thought struck her, she didn't want to make a fool of herself, nor could she get attached to a man when she was about to enter to entertainment world. She would NOT end up like how she did with Sh- she smacked herself mentally. _NO! Don't think his name! _She didn't want to end up like her old self, thinking of nothing but him.

Her mind was made up.

-Ren-

She was astonishing, in every way. Ren waited for her to speak, but she just looked in his direction with a blank look on his face. Her eyes were glazed over, then they came into sharp focus and zoned in on him.

Her whole demeanor changed, her head tilted to one side and she leaned forward a little and Ren made his gazed stay fixed to her face, which wasn't to much of a problem, as it was morphing.

Her eyes slanted and he got from her a sexy vibe that would have drawn all the eyes in the room to her if most of them weren't drunk and there wasn't any music blaring throughout the old renovated library.

"Of course you can help me, why else would I be in this establishment."

She didn't say it like a question, more like an accusation to his intellect. This was new, she hadn't swooned yet, but he had never thought she would have. He liked this girl even more, she had seemed to slip into an act.

No, not like, appreciate was a better word. Looking at her made it easier to push his feelings down.

"Then what can I do for you?" _For starters, you can stop making my heart race, _Ren answered his own question.

"I think it's already ordered, i'm just here to pick it up. I'm from Soothing."

Ren nodded and riffled through his pocket for the calendar that the girls at Soothing had made, it scheduled who would gone to get more drinks for the week. the order they'd come in. "So what's your name?"

She tilted her head to the side, "Isn't this a bit unfair? You would know my name then."

Ren looked at her and the word 'Kuon' was on the tip of his tongue. He bit his lip and swallowed his words. He wanted her to know him, but not _that _side of him. He smiled slightly, "Ren," he held out his hand for a shake, "Nice to meet you."

Kyoko glanced away from his eyes and focused on his hand. Her heart was beating fast, but that could have been anything. She reached out her hand and shook. The moment her hand touched his she didn't want to let go, but to hold on forever.

"Kyoko," she chocked out, and slipped her hand back.

Ren pulled his hand back and clenched it beneath the counter. If he looked up into her eyes, he'd lose himself, and he couldn't do that.

"Ren, it's off. Do you need anything else?" He waved the bell next to Kyoko's head and leaned over her. Ren wanted to snap his neck.

Ren took a deep breath to calm himself, "Yeah, I'd like you to fill out the usual order for this place." Ren showed the card for Soothing, "put it on hit the bill and I'll send it over later."

Kijima put the bell on the counter and left to the back room where they stored extra liqueur. He looked back at Kyoko as if he expected her to follow. 'Which would be right to expect,' he thought to himself, 'as most of the others would had followed him.'

Kyoko looked after the guy and turned quickly back to Ren-san and looks over his shoulder, "how long will it take fort he order?"

Ren shifted his weight uncomfortably. He was glad that she wasn't making eye contact, but then he wanted to take her chin and make her _look_ at him. She wasn't good for his health.

"I'm not sure, it usually takes a while. So you can leave and we'll deliver it when we can, or you can stay and wait." Ren thought that most girls stayed, as Kijima was such a a flirt and so were most of the staff. But then again Kyoko-san didn't seem to be a normal.

Kyoko had only half listened to Ren-san's response, her mind still on the way Kijima looked at her. "He's used to getting his way with women. He's more obvious than most. He's making the reading easy."

Ren grinned at her statement, "Yeah, he is," he drew his eyebrows together and looked at her curiously, "what do you mean by reading?" All that came to mind was some joke of a fortune teller.

Kyoko smiled, "I guess observing would be a better word. I try to figure out someone's character so I can respond to them in a way to make them feel at ease."

Ren gripped his hand tighter upon seeing her smile, it was to keep him from reaching over the narrow counter to her. Instead, Ren nodded, it made sense to him. "That would help in your line of work, but don't you have a dream? You won't be happy staying there," Ren unfurled his hands and found a drop off blood on his nails, "unless you _like_ old tearful men clinging to you."

Kyoko looked into his eyes for the first time since she looked into them, she didn't loose herself that time, "A am _not_ that kind of woman," she growled, "and I do have a dream that I'm going for soon."

It was getting easier to look at her now, "And what would that be?" He leaned over the counter and looked into her stormy eyes.

Kyoko's breath caught in her throat as he leaned closer, and she almword lost her face. She was able to catch herself, and she went along with him. Kyoko leaned closer and moved her mouth to his ear, and whispered, "Actress."

Ren had to stay stock still and not turn his face towards hers, 'Am I loosing it?!'

"An actress," any emotions he had he did not display on his face, but instead he slipped in a gentlemanly smile, "it'd suit you huh?" He turned his face so he could whisper in her ear.

The smile felt too fake, like it put up a barrier between them. When he turned his face towards hers, she could feel her ears turning red, he was too close, and yet she found herself wanting to pull him closer. Only her hands gripped to the stool prevented her from touching his face.

Ren parted his lips and whispered, "Because you are a slut."

**hehehe, didn't see that coming did ya?**

**thanks for reading and support, please like, follow, and comment!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Natsu Heel, i was laughing when i saw your review :) thanks for that.**

**I do not own Skip Beat**

**Thank you for reading, *bow* enjoy!**

Kyoko sat there stunned for a second, then she slipped out from her stool, and walked away. The coat man ran into a side room to grab her jacket, and she turned back around to Ren. He gave her a gentleman smile, and she scowled, it was so fake, "I don't like it when people say what they don't mean. And that smile screams fake, you half-assed actor."

The coat man came back with her trench coat and held it out to her to put her arms through. She looked back at him, and saw his gentleman smile that showed no emotion. "Send the drinks over when you can." She turned and opened the door, missing Ren's expression.

His face broke when she opened the door and stepped out, heart chest felt empty, like it had filled up then all fell out on the floor In the matter on minutes. The roaring emotions were spinning around in his head, making his head heavy with chest light and empty. He very much wanted to slide over the counter top, drag her back by the choler, close the door, and hold her. He would whisper anything in her ear so she'd stay.

But Kyoko made it out of the door, and she turned left down the street and out of sight.

she had never been so humiliated and torn. She wanted to clobber his perfect, sexy face in... Yet she wanted that perfect, sexy face kissing her and looking at her.

'NO!' She thought to herself, 'You can't think of men when you're so close to your dream... Think acting... The agency...' her nerves cooled down and she was back to her normal level. But she felt different... Like her chest was missing something. 'No, that hole has been there for years... So it can't ache.'

The coat man looked after the girl, then at Ren in shock; he had never seen Ren with that expression in the few months he had been working there. Ren showed that gentleman's smile to thousands of women a month and watched them smile and flush, some turned away... But he had never given that broken expression before.

"Should I go stop her?" He offered to Ren.

Ren had his hands on the table, planted, like he might go over them any moment, or he just needed the support. He looked at him like he had forgotten he was there, "No... No that's alright. We'll get a surge of customers in a bit, so you should stay there." He knew where to find her.

He picked up the phone and dialed the once familiar number. He needed someone to talk to about this.

)

Lory was okay with the outcome that Yashiro gave him. Now it was time to set the stage for them. He put his hands deviously together and a dark circle seemed to envelope him as he mumbled to himself for the best way for the two to meet.

Kuu looked at him in concern, he wanted his beloved son's happiness... But he wasn't sure if what Lory had in mind was the best way to go about it. Kuu glanced over the coffee table at Yashiro-san, who was staring at the President with much the same expression he had.

Lory snapped his fingers, "I got it," his face became cheerful at the prospect of his new game.

Kuu looked warily at him, "W-what are you planning?" He did not like the look on his face.

Yashiro sat ridged lay in his chair, right on the edge. He had never been quite comfortably with the President, as he asked every time about his private life, though this time he had been to occupied with the thought of Ren and Kyoko.

Lory shook his head with a grin that sent shivers of fear for his friend down his spine, "Not telling." He wagged his finger, "You'll just have to wait and see."

Yashiro stood and took his briefcase, holding gloves, a cell phone, and various papers from work. Well I must be going, contact me if there is anything I can do for your... Plan." He turned and hadn't even taken a step when the President spoke.

"Yaaaassssssshiiiiirrrooooo." he had a funny look on his face, "What about your love life?"

Yashiro's foot was in mid-step and he had almost frozen. He didn't want to turn round and get criticized again. "Ah..." then his phone rang.

Saved by the bell had never been so true, and so cliché to him as it was then.

he held to finger to the President and opened his briefcase a small amount just to take out his cell. He checked the collar id quickly and saw he Ren's number, "it's Ren," he mumbled aloud. He pressed to accept call button.

"Yashiro?" came the voice front the other line.

"Yeah I'm here. Is there something wrong with the numbers? I'm sure i crunched them right." The President sat back in his chair, slightly disgruntled by being cut off.

"No, no. It's not about the budget. That's fine, we're in the green. But... I'm feeling weird..." Ren's voice sounded strange.

"Are you sick? You've never been sick before." At that, Kuu put his ear to the other side of the phone to listen in.

"no... I just met a girl... And I drove her away... Now I feel... Weird."

"A girl? As in female? What happened?" Yashiro's eyes bugged out, and so did Kuu's. when Lory heard the mention of a girl he got close to the phone wearing a curious expression.

"I... I wanted to... Hold her... So I drove her away... Now I feel weird..."

lory's face grew happy, sad, then furious. He grabbed Yashiro's cell phone and yelled into it, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DROVE HER AWAY? YOU WANTED TO **HOLD** THE GIRL! YOU ARE IN **LOVE** YOU IDIOT BOY!" Lory stood there sheathing, with no sound from the other end.

Yashiro, Kuu, and Lory stared at the phone. Then Yashiro looked at his bare hand. "Oh no... I held it bare handed."

The other town men looked at him and said in unison, "You WHAT?"

)

Ren looked at the phone... He had only been talking to Yashiro for about ten seconds. He thought for a moment then sighed. Yashiro really wasn't human if technology stopped working after being in his hand for so short a time.

The bar was in full swing, and he barely noticed it.

Kyoko's angry face had hurt him, but he had too. He couldn't have anything precious, not in show business, or anywhere. he touched the broken watch on his wrist, his constant reminder.

A drunk man in a suit came up to the bar and asked Ren for a drink, missing Ren's expression till he had his beer in his hands. He looked him over and he opened his lopsided mouth, "You don't look so hot."

Ren glared at the man, and he held up his hands in defense, "Heeey man... I'm just saying that if that woman is driving you crazy, go find her."

Ren's glare melted and he asked the man flatly, "I don't know what you talking about."

The man chuckled, "I've been dere, and I onwly felt better when I saw er face. She was my odder half." He hiccuped and went on, "Ya should wo ind er."

Ren looked curiously at him, "Pardon, but then what happened? After you found her again?"

He shrugged, "I never did. Er arents ook er away from me after we got in a ight... Thought I was wrong for their darlin." He pointed over Ren's shoulder, "don't regret anything."

Ren smiled genially and took the man's half drained beer. "Thanks, but I think I won't."

The man shook his head before conking out on the table, and Ren waved off one of the staff to take him to the back, because Ren wanted sure he slept off the beer As he had been so kind to give him advise. His bar has been known for taking care of their customers.

Ren looked at doors he bar stool she had been in and imagined her sitting there, looking at him. He could still remember her eyes. He didn't know what was happening, but he'd never be sure unless he went after her. The only thing he needed was to wait for Kijima to be done with the order.

**okay, so they'll meet in the next chapter, and maybe a discovery by Lory :)**

**i hope you are all liking my fanfic!**

**Please keep on reviewing, likening, commenting, excetera. I have looked them over and I think I fixed most of what was pointed out as wrong spelling.**

**Thank you for reading! *bow***


	7. Chapter 7

**To clear up some confusion about people finding their other half, it is purely feeling and intuition that they are going on. Lory is working on a way to help others find their other half in a quicker way then say, a dating site. Which is about a .0000000000001% chance of finding your Other Half.**

**Hope that helped, thank you all for your support!**

**I do not own Skip Beat!**

**Thank you all so much for reading! *bow***

Kijima walked out from the back room, with a few heavy crates And looked around expectantly for the beautiful girl he had seen before. Strangely, she wasn't at the counter, or on the dance floor.

"Hey Ren, where did that sexy girl go?" Kijima looked around the room again, missing Ren's glare.

Ren shook his head slightly and plastered a blank face on. "She went home a bit after you left. I can deliver that, the place is too loud for me."

Kijima looked disappointed for a second, then he brightened, "Ah, she'll be coming back eventually." He gave the clipboard for the order to Ren and a busty blonde caught his attention. "I'll go do rounds on the tables... Since we're down on staff." He took his 'props,' a pen and a pad of paper; then, headed in the direction of the round tables and booths not far from the dance floor.

Ren looked down at the paper, then to the back room. Now he had an excuss to visit her. His chest lifted and he felt elated and light. He was going to see Kyoko again. His heart beater faster and he had to force himself to walk slowly to the back room for his coat and the drinks.

)

Kyoko walked smoothly down the street, cooly and calmly. She seemed to turn heads without trying, and yet if she wasn't focused on walking she'd be scowling and walking like a demon with a scary aura down the street.

'That... that... How could he call me that?' She wasn't a slut, nor was she trying to give off that vibe. Kyoko and Kanae had been careful to give a 'sexy' and 'don't touch' aura, so as not to have to beat back the customer's hands.

Kyoko slowed down her walk and came to a stop at a street corner, waiting for the light to turn green. Her thoughts had cooled down, 'I'm not like that... So why...' Her mind jumped to his face, before that weird smile, and her heart clenched. 'What's... going... on?' She leaned against the brick wall to her left for support.

Once in, Ren's face, words, voice, his whole being, took over every spot in her mind, driving away everything else. Like up till that point she had been drowning, waiting for air, but not realizing it. When she took a breath, the second suffocation was worse.

The light turned green three times before she forced herself from the wall and walked across. 'I need to talk with Moko... Maybe she can help me.' She out a hand to the buildings she passed, like how she had seen drunk people do, to help with her balance.

)

Lory wanted to _bite_ Yashiro's _head_ _**off**_. After all those years, he couldnt remeber to put on a glove! what kind of alien race was he? the only thing keeping Lory from strangeling the idiot ex-manager was Kuu.

Kuu held both of the President's arms behind him as Yashiro cowered behind one of the many armless women in the room. He imagined him foaming at the mouth... Maybe a chiwawa, that'd fit him nicely.

"I- It was an accident! I swear." Yashiro was so glad he wasn't getting interrogated; he had taken out the phone to quickly. "Please don't rip my head off! I like it on my shoulders."

Kuu held the President's arms tighter, "And you have to remember. If Ren had heard you, he'd know what we're planning." Kuu said into Lory's ear loudly, so he'd be heard over the thoughts going around Lory's head. 'And about Kyoko if he cared enough to wheedle it out of any of us,' Kuu thought to himself.

Lory stopped moving and straightened up so suddenly that both men flinched. "Of course, quiet right." he mumbled to himself. Lory slipped his arms from Kuu's loose grip and started to pace up and down the long room, mumbling to himself.

Kuu stared after the President in slitght shock and awe. He never got used to his strange train of thought or ways of doing things over the top. If you gave him a dating game he'd think through every move and stay up all night to finish it.

Kuu made eyed contact with Yashiro, who wore an equally surprised expression, and gestured towards the door. An obvious, 'get out of here before the President notices.'

Yashiro picked up his suitcase and crept towards the door.

When Yashiro reached the door, Lory called out to him. "That discussion we were going to have isn't over." Lory hadn't even turned around.

The door opened before Yashiro put his hand on it, the President's attendant stood there clothed in much the same apparel as the President: tight pants, no shirt, chains, and he wore no jacket, so you could see his abs. Behind him stood a grumpy man with a squashed nose.

The attendant stepped back and waved Yashiro out, an offer he quickly took.

With Yashiro gone, the attendant entered with the grumpy man in tow and approached the President.

The man was nothing special, just a high- ranking member of the Love Me comity, which supported Lory in his endeavors to find some way to find people's other halves. He had his eyebrows so knitted together he looked to have a unibrow.

"Now President, _what_ are you doing?" The man folded his arms and waited for an answer.

The attendant stood back and spoke in slur, "Yo Boss, da man is here."

Kuu didn't know if he should laugh, or be impressed. Obviously impressed, as the man's attitude extended deep into his role. He was slumped and shot a glare at Kuu from the corners of his eyes. Yep, he should be impressed, that glare sent a goose bumps up his arms. He went to the far end of the room so they could talk.

The Love Me comity member looked weirdly at the attendant, and stepped forward towards the President and slightly away from the attendant. "How has the research been going? It's been _years_ and still no concert idea!"

Lory looked down his nose at the man, who was a squat one who wasn't much tall, and glared like the gangstar he was dress as, "And who's to say I wasn't in the middle of discussing it?"

The man looked around the room, seeing no one, "No one is here President."

Lory bent over to get down to his level, "And who's to say that there isn't? They were just here but left at your rude interuption," he straighten up and sighed returning to normal, "I've got a good lead. I'm running with it."

The man stood stock still, scared of the man like he had never been before. "What's the lead?" He asked curiously.

Lory glanced back at he man, "After I look over a few papers, I'll tell you. For now, go." He waved the man off and went to sit down in the chair.

Papers? Since when did he do things by the books? The man would have protested to being thrown back out, but the attendant took him by the upper arm and led him back out.

Lory left the room through a side door. He hadn't lied about papers he had to look over.

)

Kyoko learned the next morning that the drinks had been dropped off, but no one said by whom. Kyoko felt that she had no right to ask, and should not want to.

"Calling me a slut... Making my heart pound... Dam guy..." Kyoko mumbled over and over to herself as the sewed up a new dress from old dress materials. The needle went in and out of the fabric so fast it was like she was using a sewing machine.

Kanae put her ear to the window of the Soothers dressing room. What was her friend saying? her a slut? A guy? She threw the door open and went inside, listening in was beneath her.

"Kyoko! Tell me what's going on!"

The furious girl jumped her spot on the stool she sat on. She pricked her index finger with the needle and even drew out a spot of blood. "Ah... That hurt." Kyoko put her finger in her mouth and licked at the wound.

Kanae stood in the doorway, concern for her friend; then, she stepped forward into the room and closed the door. "You're acting different."

Kyoko took her finger out to respond in an indifferent tone. "What do you mean by that?"

Kanae glared at her friend, "Last night you could barely walk but you didn't smell of alcohol on your breath. And you said you'd talk to me about it today."

"Oh... I guess I did tell you that," the only thing that had stuck in her mind over night was Ren... 'When did i start calling him by name?!'

Kanae pulled up a stool and sat next to her friend, she took the needle from her and the dress. She stated to sew the last line on the dress Kyoko had pinned down, even thought she disliked the work. "Start talking."

Kyoko told her everything, from what she felt when she saw him to when he insulted her. The entire retelling, Kyoko had her arms wrapped around her stomach. Like it was empty.

Kanae observed her friend, and came to the only conclusion that made sense, "Then isn't it simple? He's your other half."

Kyoko looked up at her friend in surprise, "B-But then why did he call me a slut If he feels the same way?"

"Isn't it possible he's afraid too? You haven't loved a man since Sho, so maybe he's the same."

Kyoko nodded, knew understood what her friend was saying. But now, she was afar aid that she'd lose herself even worse. She would give anything for Ren, she knew that already. "Kanae, I'm scared."

Kanae realized for the first time how much of a show Kyoko put on. She always tried to look in control, and now she was loosing it."We could leave now," she said quickly, "we could go see this LME President and talk about our acting careers!" Anything, anything to stop her friend from looking like this.

Kyoko it eared up, the thought of leaving was impossible, "Leave?"

"Fine! We'll go see him! Will that make you better. There's nothing wrong with being in love!" She knew nothing about being in love, but her friend obviously was.

Her dormant heart leapt, wanting to find Ren. Her desire was growing by the second. She jumped up from her seat and went to the door, eager to go.

The sewing needle made its last stitch in the dress in Kanae's fingers, which she had been sewing absentmindedly. She looked down at the dress. The last section she did was good, but the rest of the dress was stunning. It was a red dress with a dangerously low v-neck, there as no back and the bottom of the dress would hug even inch of the wearer's body. Why Kyoko had the skill to make such things and not pursue it outside of a hobby was beyond her. She looked at Kyoko standing at the door, she was in a large t-shirt and shorts. "You're not going out like that right? Here," she tossed the dress at her, "put it on."

Kyoko caught the dress, meeting Ren had put everything else out of her mind. "Thanks," she went behind a changing curtain and slipped the dress on.

The two actresses left the room, heading down the stairs. "Off to see the wizard, " Kanae mumbled, "so he can give Kyoko his heart."

Kyoko's face flamed up at the comment.

**I know this took a while, but another story idea over took my mind. So i HAD to wrote it down while i had it. But now I'm back (^w^)/**

**Thanks for the support, please comment, like review as I like it and it gets me motivated.**

**Thank you for reading "Other Half"**


	8. Chapter 8

**I can't believe it... I thank you to all who follow me and comment. It made me happy that people are reading what write and likening it.;;A;; I want to be an author, so it means a ton.**

**Oh, and no Natsu Heel, this is Skip Beat, so it's never simple. And as to how many chapters I'm planning I'm not sure.**

**The most worst thing happened, wifi was down the passed few days, but I got this done!**

**I sadly do not own Skip Beat**

Ren was inside his office at his bar, he had delivered the drinks, but he had seen no sign of her and he could just barge in asking for her. He leaned his upper back against the wall and looked up to the ceiling, the way he stood showed the old remains of his modeling days, and made him look sexy and mysterious.

His heart arched in his chest, he wanted to find Kyoko and ask her if she was feeling what he was feeling. The aching longing that consumed him. He wanted her, so much, in his heart. While in his head he tried to reason with himself. It was like two sides off himself battling for what they though right.

'N_o, the girl is to precious. She can't be with what I am now,' said Ren's head._

_His heart moved, closer to Soothings. 'But I want her."_

_'You are not right for her, she has a dream and you can't follow it. You gave up your dream.'_

_His heart squeezed, wanting to find the girl. 'I... Love her.'_

_'You killed you're friend! How could a man like you be anything to her? How can we have a right to live her? You can't have anything precious, not in show business, not anywhere.'_

Ren listened to his heart, and to what his heart was urging. His head was right, he couldn't have anything precious, she was too good... the watch on his wrist weighted him down. He clutched his forehead with one hand and his head in the other. He leaned his whole back against the wall and sighed, "Should I listen to my heart... Or my head..."

For the first time in years, his heart spoke. Never before had Ren wanted anything so badly, never. He pushed himself from the wall and towards the exit to his bar.

He would find her, and tell her, even if he'd have to raise hell.

)

The two actresses to be were coming down the stairs, and there as a commotion going on in the lobby. There was a sound of a scuffle and Kyoko distinctly heard her name being called, "Where is she? Where's Kyoko?" The owner of the voice was someone Kyoko would never forget.

Kyoko reached the landing and her eyes grew wide, there in the middle of the crowd of guys was a man being pinned by the men Soothers. He looked off on his feet... His blonde hair mess easier than usual.

Takenori-san looked down his nose at the man before him, "So you're the guy who's been giving Erika-san trouble."

Sho Fuwa glared at Takenori. His hair was unkempt anhose looked like he just rolled out of bed and slept in the clothes he was now wearing. Kyoko had seen him dress that way years ago. But now it looked like he really _had_ rolled out of bed in the _same_ clothes he was wearing now. What had happened to her childhood friend?

Sho didn't seem to notice the two stunning women that just showed up. He straightened up the best he could and directed his full attention to Takenori, "If I was so troublesome, why didn't she take more drastic action till now?"

Erika piped up from where she was a fwe steps behind Takenori, "I thought you were just some drunk."

"I bet it's because the guy is some washed out singer." Whispered one female Soother to her friend.

"Maybe she didn't hear about how he had an affair with his manager and got kicked out of his company last month," The friend whispered back.

"That's what I heard to. So is he trying to do the same to Erika?" Muttered a male Soother.

Takenori ignored the soft murmers and addressed Sho, "Of you would just state what you were here for."

Sho's glare didn't waver, "I'm not here for the blond. I want Kyoko, and she," he jerked his chin towards Erika, "mentioned it to me."

"Why would you want to find me?" Kyoko stepped forward and looked at Sho. The bastard left her, and she finally had gotten over him. "Three years you have been gone, and all these shorties I heard," she stretched her arms out to the staff of both Soothers stood, "Are simply fascinating."

Sho shook his head, "That was a fabricated lie by the tabloids. I never slept with her. They asked her if she had feelings for me, and they twisted what she said. My fanbase dropped and so did my sponsors. All that time, all I could think of was you."

The male Soothers let Shogo at the wave of Erika's hand, she was enjoying this little spat.

Kyoko folded her arms as she walked forward, "Why now? After you threw me away," she said in a quite voice so only he could hear.

Sho looked unbelievably sad, "Because these past few years, I've been empty and I threw could never figure out why. So I threw everything into my music, and t was okay for a while... But I could never stop thinking about you... I think you're my other half."

Kyoko stared up at her childhood friend, who she no longer hated, but did she still love him? Before she could say anything, he pulled on her arm, bringing her to his chest and he hugged her.

_Sho could be my Other Half?_

)

Ren was almost out on the street, hand on the doornob when Kijima opened the door from the other side. He blinked from the morning light streaming in past his friend.

"Ah, Ren. Where would you be going this early?" Kijima had on brown slacks and a wrinkled white dress shirt with a touch of red on its collar. His brown jacket was over his arm, hands bottle of wine was in his ther hand. An empty bottle.

Ren backed inside, momentarily blinded, "Um... I was going to head out and find... Something."

Kijima walked over the threshold and went behind the bar, "Well I've got some news for you."

"What?" He probably sounded a bit irritated, but he didn't care about hurting Kijima's feelings. "You're gonna pay for that bottle?"

"It's from a friend," Kijima defended indignantly.

Ren shook his head, he had had enough of his 'friends'. "Sure, whatever."

"Anyways, my news helps with your current delilema." He said proudly.

Ren stared dumbstruck at him. He knew that he was in love with the girl? How!

"I found a guy willing to have his hand play here. It ought to tone down all the noise for ya. Seeing as that headache of yours isn't getting better."

Ren smiled, relieved that Kijima didn't know the whole truth. "Oh, yeah. Good job. Bring him in when you can."

Kijima grinned, "No problem boss."

)

Kyoko escaped from Soothers, and their questions and gossip. Sho had metioned somewhere he had to go for a bit, so she took her chance to leave and clear her head. So she started walking quickly down the sidewalk, only putting as much distance from Soothers, and where Sho would return to, as possible. What the hell was with him showing up all of a sudden? And after three years no less.

Kyoko rounded a corner and thumped into someone, "Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have been walking so fast." She tried to step around the person, but whomever it was put a hand on her waist. "Excuse me but," she looked up, "it's rude to..." Ren was standing right in front of her.

"Sorry for touching you. But I thought you'd leave again before I could clear something up." Ren smiled at her, a genuine smile, and he made sure that he didn't get to close to her, or her lips might just end up swollen.

A light blush spread over her face. He was touching her. The man she wanted was right in front of her. She fought off the urge to hug him and focused on her words, "Clear what up?"

"Well... I never get close to women. And I usually say things to make them think their a friend. But with you, I found myself trying to push you away. And... I'm sorry." He tightened his hold on her waist momentarily.

Then the memory popped into her mind, "You mean when you called me a slut?"

Ren hung his head and glanced at her. "Yeah, I didn't mean it. You have to much self worth to throw yourself out like that." Then look let his eyes travel to what she wore. The dress hugged her in all the right places. "Then again, it should be against the law for girls to look so sexy. Some would get the wrong idea."

"I wouldn't give anyone the wrong idea or impression." Kyoko shook her head as she said it to emphasize her point.

"I don't think you understood," Ren took hold of her chin with his free hand and tilted her head back so she was looking at him, "I just called you sexy. Doesn't that deserve a compliment in return, or a thank you?"

On the inside, Kyoko was freaking out. Ren's face was so close that their breath mingled. But on the outside she was as cool as ever, "Of course," she put her hands up to his chest and slid them upwards to wrap around his neck, "Thank you, from one sexy person," she tilted her head to the side, "to another."

Ren grinned, but this wasn't the girl he was in love with, she was hiding. And he was the very one to draw her out. Ren leaned down and withheld his lips an inch away from hers, "Thank you very much. I feel in-debt to you."

Kyoko's mind was going blank, rational thinking going out the window. Leaving she could only want and desire, "Then you should pay back in full," she whispered, her lips brushing the air he breathed.

A spark had been lit in Ren the moment he saw her, now it was a roaring flame. He moved in that last inch, and pressed his lips roughly to Kyoko's soft, plump ones. One kiss turned into two, then four. He didn't want to stop, he finally found her, and he didn't, couldn't, let her go. Hs hand moved from her chin to her hair, knotting in it, tilting her head back so he could kiss her more easily.

Breathing became difficult for Kyoko as every kiss, every movement of his fingers in her hair, sent electricity coursing through her. The sensation was intoxicating, and all she wanted was more. She moaned softly and kissed him back with need.

Ren loved her, and pulled back to tell her that he thought she was his Other Half ;then, she was ripped from his arms.

Ren looked up at who snatched her away, and looked down at a young boy with blond hair and ear piercings. The boy glared up at him, and he only just noticed that Kijima was breathing heavily a few feet behind the boy.

"Don't touch whats not yours," growled the blond boy.

Ren glared,"I think that's my line. Now let her go."

Kyoko whispered harshly, "Sho, stop it."

"Since when did you get so close to this pinhead?!" He retorted harshly, holding her closely to his chest.

"Ren is not a pinhead. Now let me go, you're squeezing to hard," Kyoko squirmed from under his tight arms. Sho loosened his hold, bit didn't let her go.

Kijima approached him, having got his breath back, "H-Hey, you ran over here fast," he glanced up and saw Ren, who changed his expression in an he instant and he straightened up. "Hey Ren, let me introduce you to our new band's lead singer, Shotaru."

Ren smiled a dazzlingly, over-the-top, gentlemanly smile at Sho, "Oh, is that so?"

Kyoko's eyes burned, which brought her sense back. She didn't know how she knew, but Ren was seething mad.

Sho was momentarily shocked, then he shook it off and grinned, "It'll be a pleasure to work with you," he slid away from Kyoko and sidled up to Ren to whisper in his ear, "and it'll be a pleasure to take Kyoko as mine."

**okay, i have to say I REALLY liked this chapter.**

**favorite, follow, if you comment it's not only make me happy but probably speed up my work!**

**Thanks so much for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm really enjoying making this! And at this point, I'm basically dropping the suffixes, as they are confusing and I'm just a bit unsure about them.**

**I did out this off for a while as I was trying to think of a good way to go about this, but then I realised. I do better on the fly with minimum guidelines when it comes to writing. So I'm back now!**

**Thanks for reading! *bow* enjoy.**

Kyoko called Kanae up and asked if she'd come to the bar where she had asked her to pick up the drinks the night before. Less then seven minutes later Kanae walked through the door with all the swave, cool exterior she could pull off with her raging anger bubbling inside her.

Kyoko sat on a stool by the bar, elbows on the table and back to the bar, when Kanae came in. The place had opened a half hour ago, and people were already streaming in. Kanae walked up to her friend, who tilted her head back to smile at her shyly, "Funny story how I ended up here."

Kanae's cool exterior broke and she glared down at her friend menacingly. The coat guy didn't want to go near the two stunning women as a result. "Do tell," she growled, a vein popping out of her head. Kyoko didn't bat an eyelash, she had seen Kanae like this a few times before.

Kyoko told her friend everything from after she snuck away, skimping out a bit on the retelling of the kiss. "So then Kijima suggested that we all come down to the bar and watch his show. Ren disappeared the second the door opened and didn't appear till it was time to open. So I've basically been sitting here, doing nothing."

"And Kijima?"

"Said something about getting his nephew."

"Ah..." Kanae nodded. She didn't want him around, the rumors were that he was a womanizer, she disliked that type. She stretched out her long legs, which drew the eyes of many men, and slipped her coat off. Unknowably striking a sexy pose.

Kyoko laughed inside, all those men, and Kanae didn't even try. Then she sighed aloud, "I wonder what Ren's thinking... That smile is just overly creepy. A total fake." Kyoko plopped her chin on her fist in a thoughtful pose.

The door opened behind Kanae and a swirl of air came in, "To protect himself? If someone else declared that they were my interest's Other Half, personally I think I would act the same way."

Kijima appeared next to her, "So you have a Other Half already? A shame. A shame." He shook his head in mock sadness, but he grinned and slung an arm around her shoulders, "but for a lovely lady like you, it would be my pleasure to comfort you."

Before Kanae could turn around and clobber him, his arm left her shoulders and she heard Kijima's soft cry of distress. She whirled around to see who had butted in, a lecture on the tip of her tongue. But it died as soon as she saw his deep brown eyes looking up at her in surprise.

)

Ren wanted to break something, preferably the head of that... He clenched his fists and pounded them on the table, the music from the tuning instruments drowned him out. What was wrong with him?!

'_You're in love_,' his heart said.

His head was silent, it had nothing to say. It agreed. He was in love with Kyoko.

'_And you want her all to yourself_,' added his heart.

'_All of her_,' echoed his head.

Ren was decided, no boy was going to have her, even if he was undeserving. He went out into the bar, his heart pulling him towards her.

)

Hiou had his uncle by the ear and he had his Uncle Kijima's arm pinned against his back. "You need to stop hounding girls who aren't interested. Honestly Uncle Kijima, you'll never find a girl and settle down like your elder brother." Hiou had black hair and brown eyes. He was sixteen and was dressed in a unbuttoned green plaid shirt, white t-shirt, and blue jeans. His eyes were narrowed at hs uncle.

He looked up to apologize to the girl and locked eyes with her. He couldn't look away then from those dark eyes, he felt enchanted. His hold on his uncle slacked and Kijima broke free. "You can't best me Hiou!"

Kijima stood up looking triumpht, like it was really that he broke free of his nephew instead of him overpowering him then letting him go.

Kanae couldn't seem to look away from the boy till a terrible note went off and a sound of a scuffle, which made Kyoko jump and knock into Kanae. Kanae jerked in her seat and glanced at Kyoko. The girl looked at her apologetically and got up, "I think I'm going to see what that was." she hurried away, leaving the there alone by the bar, as most of the people were gathering towards the stage.

The player smiled and locked his fingers as he put them behind his head. "So Kanae, about that Other Half of yours..." Kijima trailed off and grinned down at her with a knowing look.

Kanae had a blank expression on and she crossed her legs, showing a bit of leg unintentionally. "I do not have one." She said hotly, Hiou and Kijima perked up at that, "It was a comparison of sorts to explain to Kyoko a guy's actions."

Kijima leaned forward and leveled his face to hers, "Then can I be your Other Half Kanae?"

Kanae shoved him back before Hiou could yank him back from Kanae's face. "Only I can decide if I found my Other Half or not," her face went a little from when she made eye contact with Hiou, she felt so much more... Whole when she did, like there had been an empty part in her chest that filled up.

Kijima opened his mouth to say something else, but Ren called out to him to get behind the counter. He leaned over the counter towards Kanae and asked where Kyoko was in a low, excited voice. It seemed to Kanae that Ren sorted out whatever had went through his head. She pointed to the stage in silence.

Ren took off with Kanae at his heels, and Hiou on hers. Hiou followed her because he couldn't seem to let her out of his sight, like he just couldn't let her, and Kanae somehow knew he would follow.

At the stage Sho, who had a few band mates behind him, and the DJ, who had recently hired been hired, were having what seemed to be a battle of dominance of the stage.

"Who would come here to listen to a washed up singer like you?" Roared the DJ, his head phones, which he had round his neck, swung animatedly.

"Who's washed up?!" Sho yelled back, "my songs hit the top every time, they stay there for weeks on end and all you do is replay them."

"Says the guy who got shoved aside when you raped your manager," he scoffed, crossing his arms and looking like he had just won.

Sho had to be restrained by the ther band mates, but they were loosing grip. Kyoko reached the stage at that point, she climbed up on the stage and slapped Sho across the face.

"Is this the way you act? You act like an animal who got called a beast. Well you are, but how you react to the comment means more than anything. No one can take anything from you. Where's your pride? Or did you loose that too? Did you let the media strip that from you? I'm discusted with you." Kyoko turned on her heel and hopped off the stage, the only noise was of the cracklings from the amps.

Kyoko felt better after giving him a piece of her mind, who was he? Sho would never let anyone get to him, and a few mere words made him act like a raving loon. The crowd parted for her and she walked calmly through it, swinging her hips slightly.

Sho looked after her and ran after her, grabbing her by the arm and swinging her around.

"Wha-? What is it," She asked, a strand of hair hanging him her face. Sho brushed the hair aside.

Sho cupped her face with the hand her touched her hair with. "I know that how I acted was unprofessional. And I won't do it again. I'm going to climb back up to the top, and I'm going to make sure that you're going to watch. You'll never have the chance to turn your back on me again."

Kyoko blushed, flustered. She hadn't meant to encourage him at all, now his warm hand was on her face. Didn't he know the oils on his hand could harm her skin? An actresses face and body were her life. "Whatever, do what you want." she made a move to back away.

"Wait." Sho leaned in quickly and planted a deep kiss on her parted lips. At that Kyoko jumped back and tried not to rub her mouth till it was red and raw. Her childhood friend smiled at her deviously and said quietly so that only she could hear, "Get used to that, cause we belong to each other." He grinned then turned back to the stage to tune.

Kyoko kept a straight face and ignored all the smiling, drunk, gossiping people around her. She turned around and walked a few feet before someone grabbed her arm.

Her raven-haired friend pulled her away and into the back of the bar. She turned around and said, "What the hell am I suppose to say?"

Kyoko rubbed her lips vigoursly. Why did he have to kiss her and cover up Ren's kiss. "Wait... Where's Ren?"

"You can only think of him?" Kanae asked exastiperatedly. "Well it's understandable, but I don't know. But didn't you hate Sho?"

"He's a ... I can't think of a bad enough word to describe him. But he's different now, not as cocky, well a bit less, and it's not like I loath him anymore. I just don't care anymore."

"Then why did you freak when he kissed you?"

"Wouldn't you? If a boy kissed you instead of the man you liked?" Kyoko didn't yet know that Kanae could relate 100%.

Kanae held up her hands, "Fine, fine. I'll buy you a drink, so let's forget this bullshit." Kanae really needed this, that boy kept coming back into her mind. She unconsciously looked around for him, he wasn't around her, and she felt uneasy.

The two sexy girls reached the counter and Kanae asked the guy behind the counter for two specials. They sat next to each other and the bartender slid two specials across the table. Kanae both reached for a glass, but Hiou snatched them up from the table and handed them back to the bartender, "Please switch these out for water."

The bartender took them and retreated to the other end of the bar to get them some water. Kanae swiveled around on the stool, "What the hell did you do that for?"

Hiou raised an eyebrow, "I'm not about to let you drink you way into hell. And two glasses just for yourself is too much." The bartender came back with two clean glasses of water with a lemon wedge.

"I-I'm not alone. Kyoko is-," she pointed her finger over her shoulder, "here with me."

The high schooler raised an eyebrow and slid Kanae's glass of water towards her. "I don't see her." He had, but he hadn't paired her much mind, as Ren took her away. Ren never seemed to him like a person with feelings, but he had respect for his sense of responsibilities.

The sexy, raven-haired woman sighed and took her drink, "Dam girl just leaving on her own. I'm not following her." She took a small sip, then downed the whole glass. Her throat unnaturally parched.

Hiou shook his head and brought the glass to his lips, then stopped. He smelled an familiar sent, acholahal. Their drinks had been spiked.

)

Ren found her at the bar, her friend ordering a drink. He took her upper arm and led her away through the crowd, zigzagging till he brought her to a fairly deserted part of the unrenovated bookstore.

Kyoko pulled him to a stop, panting from the sudden half run she had to do in order to keep up with his strides. She looked up at him, he looked a bit disheveled, but still hansome and sexy. "Wha- what is it?" She gasped and straightened up.

Ren took her face in his hands and leaned in to kiss her, but stopped short and put his forehead against hers.

His face was close to hers, which was quickly becoming red, and he wrapped his arms around her small waist and closed his eyes. "I've gone out with many women... But I realize now that I didn't love them. I cared for them, yes, but not like I do with you." He opened his eyes and pulled back slightly to see her. "I'm in love with you Kyoko, and I don't know a lick abut how to act, all new emotions are raging through me, and my mind goes blank and I don't know what to think." He took a bath and blew it out, "I'm in love with you Kyoko." Then he bent down and enclosed her lips in his.

Kyoko didn't like the fact he had gone out with many women, our that the lips which kissed and aroused her so deeply were because of other women and not her made her mad. But every touch of him on her made her think of none of it then, she drowned in him, kissing him back.

Ren hugged her closer and he felt her hands wrap around him. He moaned slightly and kissed her again, he could stay like this forever; touching her, holding her, kissing her, listening to her.

His 'Other Half' pulled back in his arms and he nearly pulled her back in and reclaimed her mouth, but she put a finger to his lips. Her eyes rolled over him and he shivered with want. Kyoko smiled, and it nearly blew him away, "I love you too."

She was scared, her heart was bursting, being consumed by an intense love she had never experienced before frightened her. What if she lost herself? But being in Ren's strong, warm arms didn't feel wrong, it felt right. Immensely right, like they belonged there.

Ren bent hugged her to him. He loved her. "Will you stay with me?"

Kyoko nodded against his chest with a second thought, "Yes." The thought of leaving him hurt her.

Yashiro had comeback to find Ren and ask him about the girl, he over heard their conversation, purely my accident. The President had hit the nail on the head, Kyoko _had_ to be Ren's Other Half. He spilled away and to call Lory from Ren's office phone, pulling on a glove.

)

Lory was hunched over piles and piles of paper, he opted out of his previous outfit for one of a Karate expert, complete with brown belt and a head band. He had an appointment to get his black belt in a half hour, so he _had_ to get this done.

His scarily quiet servant was at his side, "A call on line one, and you have a visitor."

Lory thanked him and told to send them in, his instructors were usually early. He picked up the phone at his desk, the collar ID showing Ren's bar as the caller. Lory pressed the call button, "Hello Ren? Haven't heard of you in a while."

"This is Yashiro," came a soft voice from the other end of the line.

"Ah," Lory leaned back in his seat and looked at a paper on his desk about his eye analysis. "What is it?"

"They found each other, met somehow." Yashiro said quickly, "And you were right, they _have _to be their Other Half."

Lory dropped the paper, they already met? Shit, he was going to have them meet in an elaborate way and suck them both into the entertainment work, scratch that idea. "You... Found... I... Ren found his Other Half." Lory stared off into space, then he shot up in his seat and did a happy dance, whooping and yelling. That meant that his idea was right! He could finally bring love to the world.

Yashiro got a lot of yelling and celebration, then silence. Where did the President go?

On the other end, Lory dropped the phone and it shattered on the ground as he stared into the face of a girl who was broken long before, and just had another break in her heart. "M-Maria..."

**That took me forever, I had to do a lot here. Well, I hope you liked it ;3**

**And if youre wondering why I paired Kanae and Hiou, it is quite simple. Where did you ever see Kanae have any other interest in a guy beside Hiou. I made him a bit older so they wouldn't be too far apart on the age scale.**

**i ain't don't with this yet, I still have few more twists up my sleeve.**

**Thanks for following and reviewing, it means a lot. *bow***


	10. Chapter 10

**Hehehe, ain't I good at this? And I got a few twists left, so I have an end in mind, so this won't go on for too much longer, but still no definite end. Less than 30 chapters definitely... Maybe c(;**

**anyways, thanks for reading! *bow***

Kanae leaned against Hiou's shoulder, her cheeks and neck a slight ting of pink. She hiccuped then started to giggle, "Your arms are so~ solid." She snuggled her head against his shoulder, "Hmmm, nice and warm."

Seems like Kanae couldn't hold her liquier. Hiou wished he could say something to the bartender, but he was on the other side of the bar then. Hiou made a move to get up and give him a piece of his mind for spiking Kanae's drink.

A yank on his arm made him sit back down, Kanae had pulled him down, and her face was level with his. Her lips were in a pout, "Don't leave, I don't want you too." She whined a little bit, a rare occurrence.

Although he didn't have a drop of alcohol in his system, Hiou's face turned the same shade of red that was on Kanae's cheeks. He mouthed words that did not want to come out of his mouth, then he swallowed, "I won't, not when your in that kind of state."

Kanae smiled, "Good," she squished his arm into her chest, making the boy's face turn a shade darker. "Then you'll stay with me the whole~ night~." Kanae reached out a hand and took Hiou's untouched glass.

Forseeing what she was going to do, Hiou picked up the glass and held it away from her, "Oh no you don't. You're drunk enough."

She pouted and reached past him for the glass, her chest and face close to his. She put a hand on his leg for support and touched the glass; then, she took it from his slack grip. The drunk girl turned triumphantly to him, and remembered that she was leaning over him, a hand on his leg, her face extremely close to his. She sobered up a bit?

Hiou stayed stock still as she leaned over him, touching his leg with her hand dangerously close to... for tried to focus on anything, anything else, but his eyes kept on trailing to the sexy woman in front of him. His breath turned shallow as Kanae turned her face towards his. Her face turned a violent red, but she hadn't had a drop more to drink.

He took the glass out of her hand and set it on the counter, encircleing his arms and her slim waist in the process, effectively pulling her onto his lap. "You shouldnt put yourself in a position where a man can take you." He warned her, his breath mixing with hers.

Kanae let out a nervous giggle, the alcohol taking a hold on her. "And your calling yourself a man? You're probably not out of high school." She touched his nose and hers red her elebows on his shoulders, the rest of her arms hanging off his back. Both her legs were hanging towards the door, they were in plain sight of everyone in the bar if they chose to look.

Hiou's fingers played with the hemp of her dress, it went higher of its own accord. "So you think I'm not a man?"

Kanae's breath shuddered, whether it was from the achohal or the male holding her, she wasn't sure. "The question stands for the answer of the originator." she encircled his head with her arms, blocking both of his ears from the music the DJ was playing, "So what I'm saying is, you have to prove the question right or wrong." She twirled a strand of his hair around her finger, "so which is it?"

Hiou smiled, his heat racing faster then a hummingbirds wings. This girl, no woman, was sexy. Yes, she was, but it was something deeper in her that drew her to him. "Simple," he leaned forward and kissed Kanae softly on the lips, "a man."

Her fingers slipped out of his hair and touched her lips lightly, the shock that rent through her at his touch woke up every cell in her body. What was that? "J- Just because you kissed me doesn't make you a man. And that was hardly a kiss at all." Her hand dropped and she grasped at her cool actress exterior.

"Fine then," Hiou pulled her closer by grasping her leg with one hand and pushing her with the other hand by the small of her back. His arms encased hehim his warmth, blocking out everything else. "I'll just have to kiss you over and over again till you agree."

Kanae's face was still flushed, and her whole body soft, vulnerably, and jelly-like. She couldnt move off his lap even if she wanted to, which she didn't. She put her hands against his aware chest and closed her eyes,

His heart lept at the sight of her, he leaned in and kissed her lips. Kissing them, nipping them till they opened for his tongue's admittance. He held her close to him, their hearts beating together, lips in sync. Kanae came u for air, but Hiou's lips stayed on her skin, trailing kisses down her neck.

"What do you think now? Kanae?" His hand played with the hemp of her dress and she shuddered at his touch.

"I-" Kanae couldn't think straight, all she could think of we're his lips on her skin.

Hiou kissed her neck, sucking at her sweet skin. "What is it you think?" He kissed the me spot again, biting, sucking harder.

Kanae gasped, "Y- You are."

"Are what?"

"A man, you are a man, Hiou." She whispered softly, her hands drifting to his head, to hold him there.

Hiou pulled back and looked at her, she was blushing, flustered, her lips swollen from his kisses. He kissed her lips softly, "and you are a woman."

Kanae returned the kiss, both of them oblivious from the stares and the over emphasized cough from the bartender.

)

Kyoko was weak kneed, flushed, and her lips were swollen. She leaned against his chest and he had his arms wrapped around her, neither wanted to leave, till a misplacement of a certain ex-manager's foot knocked over a stack of books.

Ren snapped his head around and saw his friend Yashiro lurking around a shelf, "Ah, sorry. I was in the middle of a phone call when it ended suddenly." He held up Ren's work phone in his gloved hand.

Ren starred at it in confusion, he had known about his weirdness with technology, but... "But you have your gloves on, so the phone shouldn't have died. And what abut your phone?"

"I don't know... And the other one I answered with my bare hand when you called me the other night." He made eye contract with Kyoko and waved at her, "You must be the one he was talking about, Kyoko."

The auburn-haired girl smiled tentatively back, she didn't say anything about meeting him before. But the fact that Ren called Yashiro to talk to him about her perked her interest.

"Then who were you calling?" Ren didn't remember telling Yashiro that the girl was Kyoko...

Yashiro looked at the phone, "I... Was talking to a friend."

Ren glared at Yashiro, "Who was it?" He had a good idea already.

The ex-manager hung his head, "Presitent Lory."

Ren sighed, he was right. Lory was trying to mess with his love life, "Well you can tell him not to worry anymore, I have someone I love." He held Kyoko closer, feeling her warmth against him.

Yashiro smiled sheepishly, might as well tell him, if only a little. "That was why I called, he thought you two would be a match..."

"So I was an experiment?" Ren glared at Yashiro, but he was really ticked at Lory.

Kyoko touched his cheek and his expression melted. "Don't feel that way. He could very well be the reason we met."

Ren took her hand from her face and kissed her palm. She calmed him down.

"Why did he hang up though?" Kyoko asked, she really wanted to speak with him as an actress and a girl in love. She had to thank him.

Yashiro shrugged, "I don't know." There was a strange sound... "I think he dropped his phone."

Ren raised an eyebrow, that was strange. Anything to do with love he grasped at, over did it, and molded it to a perfect end, in most cases.

Yashiro nodded at his friend's expression. Very strange.

)

Maria had been sent to her grandfather's office, as she chased away yet another tutor. She had lost count after twenty, it was probably around fifty. For five years her grandfather had brought in teacher after teacher, it never worked.

Now, she had to tell her grandpa how she drove her latest tutor away four days ago. She disliked them all, they could teach her nothing she couldn't learn herself or she already knew. The one thing they never told her that she knew was true was what they thought, adults were groveling, sniveling people who care more about their paycheck then anything.

She was fourteen, her hair was in a choppy bob from the many times she brought a pair of rusty scissors to them. She dressed in black, tight clothes that made her forget that she was even wearing clothes, but either way it didn't matter.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, a message from her worshiper friends. It said to meet up at the 'black forest' where they would secretly meet.

Maria stopped at the door to his office, it was slightly open. Why visit? He wasn't expecting her. She was going to turn away when she heard him talking on the phone. A wave of curiosity swept over her, she stepped into the room.

"You... Found... I... Ren found his Other Half." Her grandfather stared off into space.

The girl stood, shocked. The one man who ever tried to help her, who cared about her, had someone... It had to be a lie.

Then he shot up in his seat and did a happy dance, whooping and yelling.

She had been empty before, now she filled up with anger, hate, feelings that she could name and not name. How could he be so happy knowing that the one man who kept in though with her even though he was not here, he would never call her again. Ask her in a sweet voice how she was, that had been enough, now it wasn't.

The happy man tossed the phone in the air to do a fancy twirl, he spotted her and stopped mid-spin, the phone crashing to the ground. "M-Maria..." He stood a step towards her.

With every step he took towards her, she stepped away. No one knew anything about Ren, how hurt he had been by his family, how he hurt still. That girl knew nothing... didn't deserve her Ren... Her father hated her, her grandfather rarely spoke to her because of work, adults only seemed to know sweet words. She couldn't let him go.

The broken girl dropped her phone, it clattered to the floor; then, she lifted up her boot and crushed it beneath her foot. "That is what I will do to the girl who tricked him." She walked about and ran through the house.

Lory stood only in the vast room. Maria was still so broken... Lory ran to his desk and found a spare phone, dialed and waited. He had to contact that man.

**If anything is confusing, please comment. Thank you for reading :) it may seem like I have few KyokoxRen, but that will explode in the competing chapters, and if you have an idea on Maria's response to Kyoko, I'd love to heard. I'm quite stuck...**

**thanks always, please review, comment, follow as it makes me work more c(:**


	11. Chapter 11

**I SORRY! I HAD AN AP TEST AND WORK AND SCHOOL AND THIS TOOK ME FOREVER! Please forgive me ;n;**

**i do not own skip beat, and I probably should say that more often~**

Maria stocked out of the mansion, using her usual route of climbing down the balconies and ducking through windows till she got to the bottom level and snuck out down the garbage shoot.

The only thing on the broken-hearted teen's mind was to find Ren, and with him, the bitch hanging all over him.

And she knew the place of the ne person who could tell her, Kijima.

)

The happy auburn head girl stretched and looked around, seeing not the narrow, short ceiling, and mounds of blankets that were the other Soothers, but instead a normal ceiling, a small closet in the corn, and ahalf naked man sleeping next to her.

Kyoko's eyes went wide as she started to remember the past few days, he rarely left her side. Her lips would never stop swelling at this rate. But she didn't mind so much. She lay next to her Other Half and watched him sleep.

She marveled at his long lashes and defined cheek bones, she reached out and stroked his from the end of his eyebrow to the corner or his mouth, her fingers hovering at lips. Kyoko leaned in and kissed him lightly.

Ren wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Kyoko on top of him. He kissed her back hungrily, "Good morning beautiful."

Kyoko's face blushed over red, "You're awake!"

He smiled up at her; then, hugged her to his chest. "How could I when you're next to me?" Kyoko had her ear pressed to his chest and heard his fluttering heart.

"REN! Hey Ren!" Kijima's voice sounded, accompanied with the pounding if feet running up stairs. Ren groaned, wishing he had gotten an apartment farther away, not right next to the bar.

Kyoko kissed him over his heart and sat up, her legs straddled him unconsciously as she did so. She slid off and her bare feet touched the carpeted floor. "You should define out what he needs.

Ren followed her off the bed and kissed her forehead, "I'll be right back then..." He threw on a shirt and changed into jeans, discarding his pajama bottoms into a hamper. He looked back at Kyoko in her shorts and tank top. At the last second, he tossed her a dress from her open suitcase and turned his back so she could change.

Kyoko had moved in with Ren yesterday, so her clothes weren't put away anywhere. she told Ren only for a while till Kanae and her could find a place of their own. Kanae was staying with Hiou's family at his invitation.

Kyoko slipped on at the green dress: it was crossed in the back and flailed out at her knees. Ren took her hand and the two left to see what Kijima was yelling abut so early in the morning.

Kijima was at the front door, pacing in front of it and holding a body pin, like he was deliberating whether or not to retry and break in. He over-exaggeratedly sighed in relief at the sight of them. "Thought you two might never get out of bed."

Kyoko blushed and Ren scowled, as he was quite right that he would've stayed in bed with her all morning. "What is it you need?"

"Ah, well it's Sho... And his fans." The sound of wood on wood came from the bar's open door, "they figured out where he was singing and all came."

Kyoko flinched at the noise, "Are they throwing things at him?"

"Quiet the other way around. They all want to see him, so they're in the middle of raising hell." The sound of breaking glass could be heard.

Ren growled, "Then where is he?"

"Should be at my place. He's crashing for a few nights till he can find a place."

"I'll go," Kyoko offered. Kanae was also staying there, as was Hiou. It wasn't too far away, just a couple blocks.

Ren's jaw tightened, the thought of her going off alone made him edgy. Add that feeling to his hatred of Sho made one unagreeable Ren. Kyoko saw his expression and went up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Kanae and Hiou are there, I'll walk back with them. No worries."

"Are you sure?" He squeezed her hand and returned her cheek his with a full on lip contact one.

She pulled away, slightly out of breath. "Yeah."

Kijima gawked at them, wondering how far they went in such short of time, how close they had gotten, even if they were each other's other half.

Kyoko touched her right thumb over her heart, "leave it ta me."

Ren's expression softened, he let go over her hand and kissed her forehead gently. "You better hurry beforthe youse fan girls of his break down my store."

His love's face brightened and she hurried off to her destination.

Kijima looked after her in amazement. "Wow, she's gotten more sexy... How far have you gone?"

Ren gave Kijima a look, and the sex-crazed man shut up in an instant. "I'll go see what broke." Kijima scurried off and Ren followed, a scowl on his face.

)

Kyoko walked quickly, as running was out of the question. She wanted to find Sho, beat the shit outta him for being so well liked and having his fans raise hell in her man's -her face went red- shop. But she also wanted to see her best friend, they hadn't talked since she moved in with Ren. They needed to call the president of LME and make an appointment soon. The card Yashiro gave her was burning a hole in her suitcase.

Kyoko stopped in front of a nice looking apartment, it was a light pink on the front with green window sidings, a fire escape on the sides of the building, and pots filled with dirt, waiting for flowers.

She stepped up and pressed the call button for apartment 2c.

A sleepy voice came over this intercom, "Whoz it?"

"Sho," she said menacingly, "your fans are raising hell at Ren's bar, go stop it. Now."

It was quite for a good half minute, then came a over the top girly voice, "there is no. Sho. Here. Please do not come back." Than a gruff swear word to the side.

"Sho, that wasn't the least bit convincing. Buzz me up."

More grumbling, then Kyoko went inside and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Along the way she passed a room, 1b, that had a drunken man sitting outside the door, mumbling about a key when there was one by his left hand. Kyoko decided to help him on the way back down when she had more people power to lift him inside if need be.

The door to 2b was open, so she went in and saw a half naked Sho walking around, putting a shirt on. Kyoko rolled her eyes, "can't you get ready a bit faster?"

"can't you have a bit bigger reaction?" He _was_ a star standing half naked in front of her.

Kyoko smiled sweetly, like she would with a drunk customer, "how about i knock your head inside out. Get ready faster or Ren'll have your hind for having his shop busted."

Her childhood friend grumbled and went into the back room to find a shirt. Kyoko followed with the intent to find Kanae. One room for Kijima and Sho(a mattress on the floor) a bathroom, one for Hiou, and... Kyoko didn't see one for Kanae. There was a pullout couch, but no one seemed to have slept in it.

She knocked on the door that should be Hiou's, and out came Kanae.

"Mo! What the hell are you doing?"

"um... The couch out there is empty, and you weren't in the other rooms... So... I thought you and Hiou were sharing the same room."

Kanae combed out her hair with her fingers, she was wearing an over large t-shirt and Kyoko couldn't tell if she was wearing shorts. And neither could she remember if Kanae owned a shirt like that. "he's out. What is it you need?"

"um, just a problem at the bar with Sho's fans. You want me to wait for you to dress?"

"no, I'll wait for Hiou to come back then I'll tell him and go down together."

Sho was finished dressing at that point, so he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the door. Giving Kyoko enough time to call out a goodbye and cuss Sho out before the door clicked shut.

Kanae closed her door and another hand reached around her to turn the lock shut. A bare arm wrapped around her waist and a head at her back. Hiou carried her back into the room.

)

Maria was at the front doorstep to Kijima's when a bickering couple came out. She glared at them, such a disgustingly dreary morning and they make it worse by cussing each other out.

The bleach-blonde guy turned at her, "what are you looking at?"

The girl knocked his head in, "Don't talk like that to a stranger!"

"So?!"

"You don't even know her!"

Maria hated these kind of people, so she did what she knew she could always do and get away with. She made herself cry in seconds.

The guy stopped short of his reply and turned to stone, "Shit did i do that?"

Through bleary eyes Maria saw the girl approach her. Hook. Line. And sinker.

Then her cheek hurt like hell, Maria clutched at her throbbing face and looked up at the girls face. It was blank and impassive at first but it quickly turned into a glare with a twisted smile.

"Now I care about manners, but don't think that being a 'misunderstood little ,young girl' means you can cry through life and blame every crap piece of shit on others. Now I don't care who you are, or what you need, you'll get nowhere in life unless you figure yourself out first."

Maria's dried tear streaks were tinted black, "What the fuck? That's your reaction? I could be a mental patient for all you knew!"

"Well are you?"

"what? mental? No!"

"Then go home to your parents."

Maria went quite.

"No parents? Or is one still alive and wouldn't care one bit what you did?" The girl turned and walked towards the guy, who still stood stock still.

"What do you care!" Maria lashed one small fist, aiming for the back of her head.

Then the guy moved, he caught her fist and enclosed his entire hand around it. The girl stopped mid step and turned, "Even a parent can hate their own child." The guy pivoted his head towards her, his grip dropping.

Real tears ran down Maria's face. Half in awe and half in shock. That girl had been the only adult to earn her respect by telling her the truth.

The girl smiled and left, the guy let go of Maria's hand and ran after her.

The two left Maria standing there, with her arm still extended.

**R&R**


	12. Chapter 12

**All of this end of school stuff and exams are keeping me away from writing, so bear with me please.**

**i don't own skip beat.**

Ren's bar was a mess, no thanks to Sho crazy fans.

When Sho strutted in with all his past glory, the girls went even madder and started to demand to have him sing from them, how they still loved him no matter what. It made Ren roll his eyes at the way Sho took in all the praise, at least he was a bit more gracious and didn't sign his fans bodies.

Kyoko was looking at Sho's fans in a look of wonder and discuss. Ren noticed and asked what was the matter.

"I learned to act, some on my own and a bit from Takenori, and I felt like I was finds out who I was and what I wanted... To didn't care about fans or being famous, but they are important to actors."

"Fans either build you up or tear you down. For Sho here, they might just bring him back to the top."

Kyoko pouted, "Now I wanna get up there more."

"Get up where?"

"I want to be an actress, so obviously I want to be a part of a company. Me and Moko are actually going to meet LME's president... Ren? Something wrong?"

Ren's face had gone blank, "That man?"

"Do you know the president?"

Ren paused, wondering if he should tell her abut his acting career. "Kyoko, I have something to talk with you about."

"Yeah?"

So Ren told her about his acting career and how he couldn't act out a romantic role. He started from his beginning and how he rose to fame and his love for acting.

Kyoko listened intently and asked when he was over, "Do you love acting?"

"Of course!"

"Then what are you doing running a bar?"

"I..." Ren thought it over, "I'm not sure."

Kyoko took his hand, "Then come back into acting, and I'll meet you there," she winked, "I know you can be romantic. But don't use that charm of yours on other girls." She threatened lightly.

Ren smiled softly and embraced her, "I love you Kyoko, I promise I won't look at another girl."

Kyoko blushed in his arms and hugged him back, "you just remember that."

He chuckled and brought his lis down to hers as Sho started to sing. Kyoko parted her lips for him, and he gently kissed her again and again. His hands roved her back and held her against him while her arms wrapped carefully around his neck.

Ren broke away and took steadying breath, she made go bonkers with longing.

Kyoko went up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, "Will you go back?"

His answer was a passionate kiss, "Yes, and I'm taking you with me!" and wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her around, making her laugh, "and I'm taking you with me!"

A grumpy voice back from the bar, "Wasn't there a problem?"

Kyoko looked over her shoulder to see a grumpy looking Kanae and a happy Hiou. Kanae was wearing a tube tank, shorts, and high heels. Her hair was straight with only a few hairs out of place.

Hiou had on a rumpled striped blue and white shirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of black converse. His hair was messy and it sometimes went in his eyes.

Kyoko grinned sheepishly, "Ah, sorry. I everything was fine when Sho turned up," she gestured to the stage that could partly be scene from their spot at the bar.

"Geez, and after we had to go through all the trouble of getting here." She grumbled.

Kyoko laughed, "You mean rolling out of bed and getting dressed?"

"Actually no," said Hiou, "We ran into a grill outside the apartment. She was acting weird. She was going back and forth between an ecstatic expression of wonder to a depressed to a furious 'I will crush anyone who will get in my way' look."

Ren raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't sound so strange, Kyoko looks like that at times-"

Kyoko's face was red as she put an elbow into her love's stomach.

Ren wrapped an arm around Kyoko's waist, "You know it's true though."

"Oh hush, or I'll elbow you again."

Ren grinned and kissed her head, "I love you," he murmured into her hair.

Kyoko's face blushed deeper, "I love you too."

Kanae turned away from her best friend at that point so they'd geese privacy and went off into the section of the bar that still had some books. Hiou followed the beautiful raven-haired girl who stole his heart, as he had something to discuss with her.

"Hey Kanae..."

Kanae jumped a bit, causing the Shakespeare book she had in her hands crash to the floor. Her cheeks turned a bright pink as she bent down to pick it up.

Hiou crouched down, on eye level with her. Seeing him so close made Kanae blush even further. Then she stood up fast but knocked her head into a shelf, causeing more books to fall.

Kanae touched her sore, throbbing head. That had hurt.

Concerened, Hiou took hold of Kanae's head and pulled her up to his chest. He placed his other hand gently on spots all of her back and kissed her head. The two sat there, with Kanae's head against his warm, comforting chest, relaxing into him, and Hiou breathing in her scent and rubbing small, warm circles on her back.

Kanae's eyes shot open and she leaned away from Hiou, leaving an empty, forgotten warmth against his chest where she had been.

The girl who never loved another man felt so strange, she ached for his touch, his scent, his warmth. Her back, where he had beescrubbing with his fingers, felt so cold without his hand there.

Hiou's hands stayed outstretched for a moment longer, then he lowered them and spoke, "Since this morning, you've had your guard up, a mask that wouldn't let me see what you were thinking... And for a moment back there, it vanished. So I'm asking you, is being with someone with a big age difference that bad? or is it me you can't stand?"

Kanae had her arms wrapped around herself, she was shaking so bad.

"Do you love me? Or do you not care for me?"

Kanae was speechless, her lips parted with no words to speak with.

Hiou looked at her for a moment, planning to leave her there with the fallen books to think. Then, Kanae leaned foreward, threw her arms around his back, and kissed him.

The two crashed into a bookcase, making the novels fall onto of them. But neither noticed. Neither cared.

Tears were streaming down her face and mixed in with their kisses. Hiou detatched himself for a second to kiss her tears away, then he kissed her again. He of licked his tounge over her lips and moaned.

Kanae responded to his noise by opening her mouth and deepening the kiss.

Much to Hiou's dislike, she pulled away, but he kept his arms around her, keeping her only a few inches away.

"Hiou... I do like you, a lot. And I'm not sure of everything cause I just met you but... I don't think I can see myself loving anyone else. Much like I can't see myself being in any career besides acting. But then the age difference..."

Kanae fell quite, so Hiou leaned in and kissherHer skin at the base of her neck, more towards her right shoulder. He kissed and sucked and repeated, and Kanae didn't protest a bit.

He pulled away and saw her blushing furiously, and a nice hickey forming on her. "Now your mine, and no one's gonna change that, no age difference, and everyone will know that I love you."

Her expression softened and she leaned in and kissed him lightly before sitting next to him. "Hiou?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I'm your other half?"

Hious took her head, leaned it against his shoulder, and stroked her hair softly. Kanae closed her eyes.

"Yeah, I do."

**Nice ending :) and I promise for more KyokoxRen in the on coming chapters, I have one more obstinate for 'em. **

**If you're wondering(side note to Kanae and Hiou) I thought it would be a bit more dramatic to not see/know everything going through their head and just go by actions(for the most part).**

**If anything was confusing, ask please!**

**Thanks for following me and commenting, it makes me so motivated to see that people like what I'm doing! ****Thanks for reading R&R *bow***


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, make small ore than one hurdle. I have the rest of this fic mapped out and three more to be started :). Another skip beat and two crossovers. XD**

**Thanks for sticking with me! I do not own skip beat ;n;**

The two girls were finally going to do it, they made the call and set up the next possible date. They were going to meet with the president Of LME Lory Takarada! Who was also the head of the Other Half research.

The best friends wore their nicest dresses:

Kyoko showcased a dress she fixed up herself and added onto. It was a mix of a light blue lace dress and she added in mesh to bring the old princess style into a more modern era. It was sleeveless, had a sweetheart neckline, a garter around her thigh, and gloves that matched the pattern on her dress. Her hair was shoulder length, so she twisted it u into a bun, leaving a few strands of hair to drape her face. She finished off her look with a light blue chocker, white stockings, and light brown boots with a six inch heel.

Kanae displayed a more sexy look with her dress made by Mogami's needle. It was a cheetah print plunging drape neckline black lace dress that went to her mid thigh and crossed in the back. Her hair was twisted off to the side side dangly gold earrings. The look was complete with gold bangles and two inch black heels, which made the two friend more on the same height level.

Ren accompanied them to his boss's old building as he wanted to ask for a second chance, and because he couldn't leave Kyoko's side. He wore a t-shirt a brown leather jacket, and purple pants. Hiou had to go to school, as it was a Monday that they were going.

The group went through a back entrance and saw no one till they went to go on a private elevator that went right to Lory's office. A man with blood shot eyes, who was unsteady on his feet, was waiting for the elevator. He swayed dangerously, them he fell forward towards the wall.

Ren jumped forward and caught the man around the middle and helped lean him against the wall. The man nodded at him gratefully and realization hit Ren.

"Do you go to my bar? You went there a couple of weeks ago and gave me advise on going after a girl."

The man looked up at his with his lopsided mouth and rumpled suit, which looked like he had slept in it, "I go to a lot of bars boy."

"What about one with half a library that also helped you home after you slept off your drinks?"

The man pondered for a moment and nodded, "I went there went there once or twice. It's not nearby my place or work so I don't go often."

Throughout the whole meeting the two girls just stood off to the side listening in and waiting for the elevator to come and take them.

Ren nodded, "So it is you. Thank you for your advise from before." Ren gave him a genuine smile, which added to the mix of bleary eyed drunkenness did not make for an all to happy man.

The man rubbed his eyes and blinked away the bright light when Ian idea came to him. "Ahhhh, my eyes! My eeeyyeeess! They burnnnnnn!"

Ever the concerned man, Ren asked frantically, "W-What's wrong sir?"

"The bright light of your over all kindness is so unneeded that it burns my eyes to see it!"

The man removed his hands from his eyes to see a furious Ren, "You had my worried."

The man shrugged with his palm up towards the ceiling, and gave him a face that gave off the impression that he couldn't care less. _(A/N: this is Ren's look with kyoko in chapter 23 when she's bo)._

The two girls laughed at his poise, which was much like an American comedian they had seen once on TV.

Ren was boiling and about to snap when the man knocked him on the head, "I see no reason why you need to thank me, men share their stories rarely, but when they do its to make sure that a young man doesn't make the same mistake." His expression was hard, and only the redness of his nose and neck gave away his non sober state.

The elevator dinging and the man went in and leaned up against a wall and fell asleep in seconds.

The group of three followed him in and the door shut after Ren double checked to see of the man had hit the right floor button, which was the only button.

"Wow, three seconds and he's asleep... HOW CAN ANYBODY FALL ASLEEP IN THREE SECONDS!?" Kanae whispered harshly.

"You can cry in three seconds," Kyoko pointed out.

"W- Bu- Its not the same!"

"Suuuuurre it isn't."

"If I say t is then it is!" Kanae said with a huff and partly turned away from Kyoko.

Kyoko reared up and slammed into her friend and crushed her into a hug, "I'm soooooo sooorrrryy Moooookoooooo. Pleeeeaassssseeee forgive meeeeeeeeee!"

"Mo! Get off of me! I get it already! You're getting our dresses wet!"

Kyoko let go and dried her eyes just as the elevator doors opened to reveal a very tan man dress in am open vest, baggy pants, a strange head wear, and a pair of bongos strapped to his side. The man tapped his bongos and then out came a dozen men dressed like him, and a dozen women in what looked like bikini's with feathers strapped to their hips and head. But their hips were moving with such ferocity that none of the watchers knew if it was indeed feathers attached to their hips.

Confetti shot out of know where and in the center of the moving bodies appeared a dark shape. It was a man wearing a fringe cape and a sombrero whirling around. He struck a poise and all the dancers and drummers stopped mid dance, the strange dark skinned man from before had vanished.

The man tossed his sombraro high and pulled out a mic and said in a deep voice, "I am Lory Takarada, president of LME. I greet you my ladies!" He finished in a poise reaching towards the group in the elevator and caught his hat in his free hand.

The drunk man hiccuped and rolled his eyes, "Ever the enthusiast. There are both men and women you're greeting Lory."

Lory straightened up and the dancers danced away into the recesses of what seemed to be a large waiting area, as there was a women covered in pounds of confetti typing furiously on her keyboard behind a desk. "Well you could at least clap."

"Naw," he pulled a hip flask from inside his jacket pocket, "It'd only go to your head."

Lory ran forward and snatched up the flask, "and this'll go straight to your liver George. You're early, so how bout you wait over there," he pointed the flask in the direction of the secretary, who was now confetti free, as well as the rest of the hall.

The man waved him off, do snatched back his flask and went off to find a couch to lay down on.

Loryhuffed indignantly, "Well then..." He faced the rest of the group and squealed in glee, "Kyoko Mogami, Kanae kotonami, and my dear Ren Trusurga! How amazing it is to see you all!"

George turned around at the mention of their names, but shook his head and downed his half empty flask in one gulp.

Ren smiled gingerly and Lory gave him a sweet smile that would send shivers down a lesser mans spine, "Welcome back. I assume you found your love of acting?"

"Yes sir, I have." His hand touched the small of Kyoko's back, and a response blush spread over her cheeks.

"Then it is truly wonderful to see you!" He looked the two girls over and spread his arms open wide, "Welcome to LME, if you'll just go through a quick little test, we can get this done with swiftly."

"Test?" The girls asked curiously.

Ren sighed as Lory led them towards his office, talking as he went, "I always give my actors a test at one point or another. Even Ren had one."

"I'm sorry, what? Ren had a test from you when?" Kanae interjected, "oh, sorry."

"Quiet alright. He had one before he debuted at sixteen i believe it was."

Kyoko leaned into Kanae's ear and gave a quick explanation of Ren's career.

The raven-haired girl gave Ren a new look, "You were voted the most sexiest man in all of Japan, and a phenomenal actor, but you quit because you couldn't act a love scene? Couldn't you have found another solution than dropping out?"

Lory scoffed, "The boy was falling apart and nothing felt real. His job offers would plummet and then he'd be a washed up actor-" Lory kept on ranting and Kanae listened intently, but Kyoko ceased to care. She reached out a hand and took hold of his fingers and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Ren kissed the tip of her ear and took a better hold on her hand, intertwining his fingers in hers.

Lory threw open his double doors and ushered them inside, "Now let's get on with the test. If I could just ask Ren to go into that room over there and wait." Lory pointed off down the long hallway, which had pure marble floors and pillars, and to a large set of doors.

Ren squeezed Lyoko's hand one final time and turned, walking towards the other end of the room. Kyoko hated to see him go and almost begged Lory to have him stay, but she knew she shouldn't.

Once the doors behind Ren clicked close, Lory withdrew a phone from his side table drawer. "Now this is a small reaction test that I decided to not use three years ago at the LME auditions. It's a small reaction test, and through this a partner will be talking to you, so I want the two of you to react like normal." He winked and gave the phone to Kanae, "good luck."

Kanae took the phone and looked at it for a moment, then it rang. Kyoko and Lory sat down in two cushy, white chairs as Kanae hit the answer button.

"H-Hello?"

A soft voice came from the other end, _"I'm sorry, I know I broke what I said to to, my promise, and I'm sorry. I'm a terrible man, I've gone out with other women, and tried to forget, but I only thought of you. Could we try again. I know I'm rushing this but...I love you."_

For whatever reason, Kanae imagined Hiou's voice on the other end. She imagined Hiou breaking his promise of no one changing the fact that she was his and his hers. Not age difference, or anything and that everyone would know it.

Her heart wrenched at the very thought of Hiou being with someone else, she felt sick to her stomach. Tears, real tears, poured down her face and she gasped for air to respond, "I love you too Hiou," she whispered his name so low no one probably heard her at all.

The voice said they would meet up later and she said goodbye, ending the call. She sniffed and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

Lory handed her a hanky had took the phone back. "Now it's Kyoko's turn."

Kyoko took the phone and stood up to take up the place where Kanae had been. Kanae took up Kyoko's vacancy.

The phone rang, she hit the answer button.

_"I was such an idiot. I was out with a lot of women since then, but it didn't work out,"_ Kyoko found it had to breath, the voice sounded so much like Ren, _"they say I'm difficult to handle because of my ego. So then I realized how much you meant to me... For me, from the very beginning. I'm aware I'm rushing, forgive me, but would you try again. Just once more?"_

At first Kyoko was stunned and tears fell generally down her face, then she couldn't stop, it felt like her chest was breaking. What if Ren did leave? She would never hate him, but she would be an empty shell again and worse than before. When the voice asked for another chance she couldn't speak from all the tears and empty feeling.

Kanae tossed her a clean hanky and she didn't catch it in time and smacked her in the face. She wiped way her tears and took a deep breath.

_"Are you still there? Please, I'll do anything."_

Kyoko was shaking, her grip hard on the phone and then it shattered in her hands. The words 'I love you' on the tip of her tongue. She gathered missing broken pieces of the phone and clutched them to her chest. Kyoko took a shaky breath, "I love you... Ren, and that will never change no matter how many mistakes you make."

Both Lory and Kanae sat dumbfounded at what they just watched.

'Curious, very curious.' Lory thought to himself, her bond was stronger than he had thought.

**Alright, I hope you notice the difference in reactions for the two girls for the tests :) And next chapter I will _finally_ address how Kyoko and Ren met. (Took me forever didn't it?)**

**So next chapter will be up soon! Please, comment, review, follow, etc.! Thanks for the support :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey~ so now their past it's different, but with a few similarities :) thanks for reading, enjoy. **

**I do not own Skip Beat, darn /finger snap/**

Lory crouched down next to Kyoko and patted her head softly, "Everything is fine. Ren is just in the other room." He paged his servant to let Ren back in the room. The door opened soundlessly and Ren came back in curiously after his short absence, "And there he is."

Kyoko looked up and her eyes snapped to Ren, she stood up shakily, the pieces of the broken phone cascading to the floor.

Then she went into a full out sprint for him, Ren stood still, a bit to shocked at what was happening. Then two seconds later Kyoko ran into Ren, knocking him over, burying her face in his shirt.

Ren's face grew gentle as he looked down at the girl he loved so much. He wrapped his arms around and caressed her head. "Don't cry, I'm right here."

As Kyoko continued to sob into Ren's shirt, Kanae turned to Lory, who was smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" Kanae asked.

"Well she broke my phone and didn't finish the test-"

"Please don't be harsh on her. She's really a great actress."

"Rules are rules-" His face was stern and unresponsive.

"But President!-" Kanae had an expression of disbelief, hadn't he come for personal most directly?

"And rules were meant to be broken," He grinned attune couple, then at Kanae and her 'wait WHAT!?' face, "Her reaction was marvelous, so I have no complaints. But it was quite extreme so that leaves me with one theory..."

"Which is?"

Lory called out to the two at the end of the hall, "Excuse me love birds? We can start our meeting now~"

Ren carried Kyoko princess style with him glaring at Lory as he walked. He stood in front of Lory and growled, "You do that again you die."

Lory only grinned wider, "I won't, now lets all sit down and talk my proposition."

"Already?" Kanae asked in surprise as she speeches herself on the edge of a single seater cushy chair. Ren sat in the other one, putting Kyoko in his lap.

"Yes, bit I just have one thing to address before that." Lory sprawled himself over the love seat. He turned to the couple, Kyoko sitting on Ren's lap, "Ren, did you ever go to Kyoto?"

Kyoko's ears perked up and Ren nodded, "I went with my dad on a job once..." Lory nodded, he remembered how he made Kuu go into a separate room during this conversation, of course he could watch and listen like before with Kyoko.

"And Kyoko, you lived in Kyoto for sixteen years, correct?"

"Y-Yes." She responded.

"Can either of you recall meeting someone during your time there that resembles the other?"

Kyoko pondered then shook her head, "Only Korn comes to mind."

"Korn?" Lory raised an eyebrow, his curiosity rising.

Kuu spoke in his ear, "Wait, that sounds like-"

Kyoko spoke, but Lory couldn't hear her, he turned down the volume and asked, "What was that dear?"

Kyoko nodded, her earlier trauma subsided, "Korn is a fairy prince who took me to a fairy ball when I was six."

Lory chuckled and Kanae burst out laughing, "A fairy?" Kanae choked out, "You still believe in that crap?" Kanae went into another fit of laughter and Kyoko puffed out her cheeks in a pout. Ren was grinning, and trying hard not to.

"Kanae," Lory chuckled, "is this how you act with your friend?"

"Truthfully and in all honesty? Yup," Kanae nodded _and at first I hated her guts cause she was so amazing, it was like things came to her so naturally when she tried._

Kyoko missed all of her friends inner thoughts and blurted out with teary eyes, "Korn IS a fairy, he proved it to me!"

Kanae raised an eyebrow, "Wait... Corn? As in the yellow vegetable that is high in carbohydrates?" Kanae scrunched up her nose, all those fattening, high foods that practically line up at her door begging to be eaten.

"NO! He's not a vegetable! And it's K. O. R. N. not _corn," _Kyoko huffed, emphasizing the letters of her beloved fairy prince's name with a redder and redder face."He's a beautiful boy with a heart and head of gold and one of the nicest people to me back then."_  
_

"A fairy prince?..." Kanae burst into another a fit of laughter, making her side twist come slightly loose.

"Its true though! Don't laugh!" Kyoko puffed out her cheeks and acted much like a child. But Kanae kept on laughing, so only Lory saw the wistful smile playing on Ren's lips.

Lory waved his hand at Kanae to silence her chuckling so he could be heard, "Why not tell us your proof? You said you had some?"

Kyoko nodded vigoursly, "Yeah," the she looked into her hands and shifted in Ren's lap, "but you may not think it hard evidence."

Lory leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, tapping his fingernail on the solid part of the two-seater, messaging to Kuu to listen well in morse code.

Kuu replied in a soft whisper immediately, "Will do."

Lory smiled and tuned in to Kyoko.

"My mother... Was a busy women and often left me with friends, who were mostly the Fuwa's. And I stayed with them for months on end, I probably gave them a lot of trouble, and I was picked on at school because Sho greeted me by name.

"Because I didn't want to bother them, I found a place to cry deep in the woods by a river. One time when I went, I came across Korn..." Kyoko's cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled both in the memory and in the present, "He was so tall, and he had blue eyes and gold hair. He looked just like a prince from my books." Kyoko swinger her legs baci and forth as she remembered.

"We talked all the time, everyday as soon asi finished school. I would run to the rivera and he'd be there waiting for me, waiting to listen to how my day had gone..."

In her head, Kyoko saw the boy, and herself picking up so tones by the river, skipping them, pretending they were eggs or hamburgers, her favorite foods.

Kanae and Lory sat enwrapped in Kyoko's tale, while Ren had his eyes closed.

Kyoko went on, "There was a small dance later that week, but the Fuwa's had a large party coming to the hotel, their business, so Sho and I were told we had to stay behind. I told Korn this, and he whispered in my ear to come back to the river as soon as I could, no matter what the time was.

"So I went to school on the day of the dance, and went to the Fuwa's to work. By the time I finished it was well past eleven, but I still went out to find Korn."

In her mind, she saw herself walking through the woods at night, running from an owl's hoot or the scampering of a squirrel. She had worn her jean-overall skirt and pink shirt underneath, when she finally arrived at the river, she was dirty and no one in sight.

"When I got there, it was probably a quarter to midnight, and Korn wasn't there. I nearly started to cry when he stepped out from the other side of the river. He was wearing a gold and white suit like the prince from Cinderella and behind him was a soft, sparkly light where out came fairies who flew over the water towards me. Music started playing as they came over me, when they stepped away I was wearing a flowery dress and bespeckled with flowers.

"I looked up across the river and we was walking across it to me over the water, and the music became sweet when he reached me. He held up a hand and asked me to dance, the fairies joined in around us and other male fairies came up besides them. We danced on the bank for hours till it became light out and I felt exhausted from dancing. He carried me home and talked to me the whole way-"

Ren leaned forward and whispered in Kyoko's the words he had stood her years before, "I'm going to be away for a while, and you won't be able to contact me where I'm going. I'll always be with you wherever you are, so you'll never be alone..."

Kyoko turned in Ren's lap to face him, stunned and speechless. The other two snapped out of the trance they were in and stared fixated at Ren.

Though Lory smiled after a few seconds and leaned back in the seat, head back and breathing softly. Kuu contacted him through the ear piece, "So she was the friend he needed to do something for that he needed my help with. My boy is such a gentlemen, he is the sun that walks the earth so forgiving and lovable-" Lory turned the listening device down, he had had enough of Kuu glorifying his son.

"He took you to your window and laid you down on your bed and gave you a small blue stone and told you, 'This stone is a part of me, tell it anything you need and I'll be listening through it.' And that was the last you saw of him till that day you walked into his bar weeks ago."

But if Ren was Korn...

Kyoko teared up, "But your name is..."

Ren whispered, "I'm from the states. Ren Tsuruga is my stage name, because I wanted to hid who I was, leave my past behind. And you've been getting my name wrong for ages, it's Koun."

Kyoko nodded, she could understand that, her voice came out choked by her tears, "Was there some other reason you left when we were little? You just vanished. And why did you leave when you were sixteen?"

He hesitated for a moment, "There... Was a reason. It was hard to leave you behind, because I had to go back to America with my dad. Because of my stupid actions, I hurt a dear friend, severely, and his fiancé was pretty pissed at me. He died days later in the hospital. I was sixteen then, and a year later I changed my name and came to Japan to start my own acting career as someone else."

Kyoko kissed his cheek, "I'm sorry," Ren wrapped his arms around Kyoko and kissed her gently, "So... Does this mean you escaped your fathers fingers?"

Ren turned to Lory, "Once I get back into show business believe I have."

Lory snorted and 'woke up' from his nap. "Ah, may I now give my proposition?"

Finally, attention was all on Lory and what he had to say. He cleared his throat, "Now, I would much like your help in two projects, if you would."

"By if you would, do we gave the choice to decline?" Ren asked.

"Well, no. Not really," Lory took off his sombrero and intertwined his fingers, setting his chin atop them.

Ren grimaced, "Lovely."

"I would need the three of you, and it would also require the help of Mr. Hiou. Because, you four are my prime examples of Other Half for my research." Lory looked at their expressions, Ren's was blank, Kanae had her eyebrows stitched together, and Kyoko wlaps till slightly dazed from the realization that Ren was Koun.

Kyoko was the first to respond, "So we can help other people find their Other Half! That's to great!" Kyoko clapped her hands together, "Then the whole world can have a happy ending!"

"But what if someone's other half is sick? Or dead? Or on the other side of the world?" Ren asked, "Then how do you deal with the mass depression?"

"Well," Lory twirled his mustache, "that is a risk that the public will have to be wiling to take. And obviously I'll have to put an age limit on the machine."

Ren raised an eyebrow, "A machine? Didn't you say before that machines and robots have nothing to do with love and emotions?"

Lory nodded, "Well yes, I did. But the machine is more of an eye exam," he noted the confused expression on their faces and elaborated, "Well, I suppose it would be more of a picture of your eyes. Once taken the photo would be taken down into pixles and compared to millions of others till a match would be found. In this case, a match is defined as the diffusion or patterns in ones eye that matches up with another individual.

"In Ren's case, I took a picture of him, broke down his eye and added it into my data base. But there was no match. So I thought I needed to expand my eye research. So I collected more samples, Kyoko and Kanae curtsies of Takenori, and did another go. But that time I found no match.

"But that didn't mean anything," he said quickly to Ren and Kyoko, "I took a clotook look at Ren's eyes and found that it was different from the others I was testing. So I went farther and farther back in you life still I found the point when the actual pattern of your eyes changed. It was the first day of your trip to Kyoto with your father's film, it was the most recent picture that your eyes were different, then they changed after the trip. So I figured put what to look for.

"So I looked through all the pictures again and found Kyoko, who had the same eyes as you did in my most recent picture of you, so then I knew I had a chance to end this Other Half business and find a match for Ren," Lory finished his retelling and waited for someone to speak.

Finally Kyoko spoke up, "How would you need our help?" She wasn't really bothered by the fact that he had set up them meeting or not, she was glad she found Ren.

Lory pondered, "Well, I would like to test the depths of you relationships, as one of you is on a higher level, for research. And a bit of promotion for a movie I'm planning on releasing called 'Other Half' which i would like all four of you to be in."

Kyoko asked, "Could you explain why Ren and I are on a higher level? I understand that we met before, but what does that entail?"

"Hm, my guess is that they're in a bit of withdrawal, as they haven't been together for roughly a decade. It should calm down in a while." That was the best Lory could think up, "So it could also me why Kyoko had such a reaction to the phone call, because she simply couldn't imagine him being unfaithful, as they probably haven't been apart to much, correct?"

Kyoko nodded, "Yeah, and when I was apart from him I wished to have him next to me again."

Ren wrapped his arms around her waist and Lory nodded, "So, do you all agree to help with both projects?"

"If Kyoko will..." Ren trailed off.

Kyoko smiled, "Of course! I would be just like a fairy godmother."

Kanae sighed, "Im fine with it, and i'll ask Hiou."

"Splendid!" Lory clapped his hands, "I'll send the script over to Ren's bar later. I'm late for a meeting."

Lory showed them to the door where and on the other side of the door stood George and a squat man with a badge that said 'love me comity'.

George looked like he had downed the rest of his flask and two more full ones. His tie was thrown over his shoulder and his nose red. While the other man's clothes were finely pressed and no sign of drinking showed in his eyes or face, he actually had a stern look on his face as he charged into the groom after Kyoko, Ren, and Kanae.

"Now President, I need to see those papers to-day." Shouted the uptight man as George fell in behind him.

Ren went back and helped George back onto his feet and into the room after the stern, uptight man.

"S... Sa..." Slurred George, he couldn't spit one word out.

"Um, you're welcome." Ren supposed that was what he was trying to say. he helped George into a cushy, white seat and returned to the girls waiting at the elevator.

The three went down and back the way they had come. Kanae led the way and Ren and Kyoko were just a few feet behind her, holding each others hands when a small shadow came from behind a corner, jumped at the group, and right at Ren. Ren backed up a step from the impact, loosing Kyoko's hand.

"Reeeeeeeeeeeeennn!" Came the high pitched squeal of a small girl who who had a choppy bob and dressed all in black.

Ren knew that squeal anywhere, "M-Maria?" His hands went involuntary to hold her up like he had in the past.

Maria pealed herself away slightly and smiled, for the first time in months, from genuine happiness at seeing someone, "You do remember me! You've been gone forever!"

Ren grinned gingerly, "I'm sorry, I lost myself and my way in acting. But thanks to her," he touched Kyoko's cheek, "I got both back."

Maria's eyes widened and her neck seemed to creak slowly, like from one of those horror movies with the demonic doll, till she was starring at Kyoko. Kyoko starred back, wondering if she was going to claw her face in; then, recognition hit Maria.

**For how Ren/Koun knew the way to Kyoko's place, lets just say he knew the general direction from their any talks, and cause its a famous place.**

**The next chapter will be out soon, don't worry. But if you could pm me and tell me any grammar errors, that would help a bunch -u-"**

**Thanks for reading, please favorite, follow, comment, leave a prediction or two, tell me your thoughts!**


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